True to form, the editor of the Age has the guts to shine a spotlight upon the elephant in the room that is studiously ignored by other editors, government departments and the many agencies charged with addressing New Zealand's social problems.
Serious lack of parental responsibility isexactly what lies behind a large proportion of the crime and anti-social behaviour that are steadily becoming more commonplace in this country.
I and many others believe too that the so-called 'child poverty' crisis that exists is no more than a symptom of the same malaise, as are the domestic violence, abuse, teenage pregnancy and alcohol and drug abuse and the stunningly callous serious youth crime we are seeing more and more.
Lack of decent parental role modelling is damaging so many of our young before they even start their lives that the relevant agencies had better begin monitoring and educating them, as well as the producers of these future career criminals, before inter-generational dysfunction causes any more damage to the fabric of society.
