Uni Professor speaks out to protect children

The ‘Children and Young Persons Act 1933’ is pretty dated, turning 80 in April.

Some parts even date back as far as 1868, when kids still worked in factories and got whipped with canes for not doing their homework.

Amazingly, a House of Lords decision made as recently as 1981 deliberately ruled out emotional and psychological harm from the legal definition of neglect.

This contradicts the modern understanding of neglect and the Government’s own definition which means taking any action is a very confusing business.

Williams, an Associate Prof. of Clinical Neuropsychology thinks the problem with the old laws is that they focus only on physical abuse and talk about mental abuse in confusing and evasive terms. Along with his expert friends, Williams believes that the Act must be adapted to reflect our society’s heightened investment in the mental welfare of children.

They claim that in order be up to date with the 21^st century, the law must reflect our awareness of the emotional, social and psychological effects of neglect.