Traditionally, the family has played an important part in the maintenance of law and order. It is not possible to have policemen on every street. The escalation of these problems from the 1960s onwards corresponds to the decline of the family and familial discipline and to the growth of permissiveness. The decline of the importance of the family unit creates not only social consequences but also economic effects. When these primary services are greatly reduced, or even totally disappear, they do not cease to be essential.
Children have to be fed, cared for and educated.
The sick must be treated, the old must be assisted. All that happens is that the services of great economic value, once performed by the family without economic cost, are transferred to the government, which has to pay handsomely to ensure that the same services are provided by professionals, teachers, doctors, nurses, social and welfare workers, the proprietors and staff of hospitals and homes for the aged and other individuals and institutions. This is one of the basic reasons for the explosion of welfare expenditure which has far reaching economic and budgetary consequences. The common law and the western tradition provided special benefits and protection to the intact family. This was a recognition of the moral and practical importance of the family unit.