A baby that is healthily attached to its carer can regulate its emotions as it grows older because the cortex, the part of the brain that exercises rational thought and control, has developed properly. But in the case of the child whose life has been badly impacted, the cortex is underdeveloped. The damaged child lacks an emotional guardian . The result is unlocked violence in many people that emerges as domestic violence and child abuse in later life. A key step in achieving this goal is to improve parenting, especially among the very young in at risk families.
Parent training can reverse the damage and very early intervention can prevent it.
21 Changes in parental discipline can lead to significant reductions in antisocial behaviour. Studies have found reduced conflict and child irritability when mothers are trained to respond appropriately to infant cues 22 whilst others report dramatic reductions in child neglect, abuse, pregnancies and maternal arrests following home visits for at risk mothers. 25 Something can be done to prevent the lifelong damage inflicted in babyhood. My hope is that the framework of Relational Justice will help us to take collective responsibility for caring about the circumstances that predispose children to delinquency. Biographical Note George Hosking is an economist, psychologist and clinical criminologist.