Would you electronically tag your child?

Dear Rasher,

Isn't tagging normally done with a bracelet? I don't know this. It is just what I thought was done.

I think your idea is a good one at least to consider and it is nothing to do with human rights. It is a responsibility to look after children, and the way things are you may be right about it.

I know this sounds odd, but would not the idea be some cub-cutaneous device such as is used to monitor cows in a dairy herd be more suitable? It may be that the perfect device does not exist today, for human child application, but this is a new and interesting idea...

ATB from Fredrik

IIRC thus has been gong on for quite some time in Japan although mainly for slightly older children via mobile phone and other such high tech objects that the child would keep close to themselves. In the UK people have taken to radio id tags for loved pets so it is but one small step to extend this to children but what about chip readers used by some who could then sweep an be directed right to the tagged kiddies. It is all rather like some crims listening in to the police radio messages as seen in old time films.

Yes I was thinking more of an implant than a bracelet.
Surely as there are lots of children around all over the place, why would someone want to be directed specifically to a tagged child? You only have to look in a car outside a house to see if it has child seats in it, or follow a child home from school. Children aren't exactly scarce.

RFID implant is a tool to identify the object when you can see and touch it and place a reader against it - it does not help you locate the item.

What would be needed is an item placed on the child to be tracked by a transmitter in a room or building where the child should be, the transmitter would be radio "pinging" the item on the child. When the response was not within a give time or no response at all, the transmitter would then contact the parents/guardians to inform them that child had moved on.

Any form of mobile phone and Sat Nav techniques would be flawed by the good chance that the abducted child would be out of site of the satellites and also that there are concerns re mobile phone radiation and brain development in the young.

Peadophiles do not lurk around every corner . .

It's the media that makes us believe the world is falling apart

I'd worry more about teaching my kids to cross the road safely.

Doug

Paedophiles do not lurk around every corner . .

It's the media that makes us believe the world is falling apart

I'd worry more about teaching my kids to cross the road safely.

Doug

Up till the age of nine, apart from going to school, my brother and I were literally free-range kids, sent out after breakfast at half past seven till lunch at one, and then packed off again till tea time at half four. Then we watched the Childrens TV till Zebedee sent us to bed at ten to six! The nearest neigbouring house [in the glorious rolling Herefordshire countryside] was more than half a mile away! Hardly ever saw anyone! Not for weeks on end as often as not! Only a special occasion would break this lovely routine.

A lucky sort of childhood really! Would that be allowed now?

ATB from Fredrik

According to the stats the rates of sexual and violent crimes against children have remained at a constant level since WW2 and yet 99.9% of the general public thinks it is far more common these days. Like Fredrik my siblings and I were free-range kids as were most others in our neighbourhood and we were taught basic sensible precautions not paranoia. My heart goes out to little Madeleine and her parents (what they must be going through is almost inconceivable)and I am not sure how I could possibly survive being in their position but having my children run around with a tagging bracelet just does not sit well with me - I have never thought about this before - maybe I just have to get used to the idea.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Up till the age of nine, apart from going to school, my brother and I were literally free-range kids, sent out after breakfast at half past seven till lunch at one, and then packed off again till tea time at half four. Then we watched the Childrens TV till Zebedee sent us to bed at ten to six! The nearest neigbouring house [in the glorious rolling Herefordshire countryside] was more than half a mile away! Hardly ever saw anyone! Not for weeks on end as often as not! Only a special occasion would break this lovely routine.

A lucky sort of childhood really! Would that be allowed now?

ATB from Fredrik

Fredrik,

Still works like that here.



Regards,


Willy.

Willy, that looks lovely! I really would go and bury myself in the rolling countryside again if I won the Lottery. I would have a few acres and keep some sheep, poultry, and a couple of nags, cut my own wood, and the world could come and see me if it wanted to! Doubtful if it would want to I suspect, but I would not worry!

I hate urban life!

All the best from Fredrik

Yes.

Fredrik,

Would like to have a go at all those things myself. Got some hens a couple of years ago. Hard to beat a fresh free range egg, and by fresh I mean still warm. Bought some hatching eggs on ebay last week so hopefully in a couple of weeks will have some new chicks (Jersey Giants). Ocassionally get invaded by sheep or cattle but have the kids trained to round them up and herd them back into whatever field they came from.
After a couple of weeks in somewhere like LA the walk from the car to the house, looking across the sea to Ailsa Craig and the Mull of Kintyre is all I need to clear my head (especially if there is a North Easterly blowing horizontal rain in).

Regards,

Willy.

I don't think tagging is the answer.

Not leaving your children alone in a Hotel room whilst you have your dinner may be a better soloution,

Regards

PB

quote:

Not leaving your children alone in a Hotel room whilst you have your dinner may be a better soloution

Absolutely!

quote:

Originally posted by Dougunn:
Peadophiles do not lurk around every corner . .



Doug

Do they not? Child sexual abuse (and often in families) is an enormous problem and massively under reported. People on the Sex Offenders Register are just the one's who have been caught. I guess you don't know many counsellors or people working in Children's Services, it is a massive problem.

My son is 9 and he wants to walk home from school with his friends - no way. He has other friends who have walked home alone since 8 years and under (to increase independence?). IMO it is massively increasing the risk of harm at that age from bullies, paedophiles, from traffic and god knows what else. Generally I believe in this country we vastly under supervise our children.

Yes I agree road safety is hugely important. Personally I won't have my lad cross a road on his own until he is at Comprehensive. There is excellent advice around Hedgehogs


Regards

Diccus

quote:

Not leaving your children alone in a Hotel room whilst you have your dinner may be a better solution

The suggestion was that the couple could see the door of their apartment from their table (50 - 100 metres depending on which report you read). Would you expect someone to break into the apartment from the back, opening shutters, god no. I don't blame the parents here. The person that has snatched little Maddy has had this planned IMO, has seen the child with it's parents and ruthlessly targetted her (pretty and blonde). The blame lies not with the parents or the resort but with the perpetrator of this heinous act.

A little girl in North Tyneside last year was snatched from her bath then returned freezing and naked to a nearby street after being sexually abused. Some things are just freakily out of the expected we can't plan for them.

I guess most of us risk assess any activity with our children depending on age and circumstances.

Worryingly we read an article in the Guardian yesterday which talked about Maddy in the past tense. Very poor journalism. It may be unfortunately true but it should not be reported in that way.

Would I tag my kids. I've got to say i'm not against it if it means keeping them safe.

We lit a candle for Maddy's safe return in Durham Cathedral today. I can't even imagine what her parents/family are going through.

Regards

Paranoid Dad

The parents could be charged in the UK for leaving kids that young unsupervised. Also according to the Times yesterday they left the front door unlocked. Now how responsible were they?

quote:

The suggestion was that the couple could see the door of their apartment from their table (50 - 100 metres depending on which report you read). Would you expect someone to break into the apartment from the back, opening shutters, god no. I don't blame the parents here. The person that has snatched little Maddy has had this planned IMO, has seen the child with it's parents and ruthlessly targetted her (pretty and blonde). The blame lies not with the parents or the resort but with the perpetrator of this heinous act.

I am sorry but no matter how close they were to the front door and no matter how clearly they could see the front door, their actions are inexcusable.

You just do not leave children unguarded anywhere, "Would you expect someone to break into the apartment from the back, opening shutters, god no. I don't blame the parents here.". Well someone did unexpected or not and yes I blame the parents.

You don't give someone the opportunity to steal something and then plead innocent when someone takes that opportunity.

I hope to god they find that little girl unharmed, but I find it very hard having any sympathy for the parents,


Regards

PB

Apparently, and I obviously don't remember it, my mother used to lock me in my bedroom at the farmhouse while she went to Hereford to draw the wages cash and do the weekly grocery. This was a good four hour activity.

I only found this out at the garage I still take my car to for servicing and MOTs and which is owned now by a lad just about a year younger than me in the last five years talking about the olden days. I have know him all my life, and his mother still goes in and does the books. My mother used to buy the petrol there forty five years ago...

The old lady [not so old at the time of course] was rather surprised the first time that my mother had me in the car as a bouncing eighteen month old! My mother did not seem to be worried about never having previously fixed baby-sitting arrangements, apparently!

How times change. Fredrik

A simple answer to the question - No. To tag would only engender a casual approach to child care.

On the other hand I'd subcutaneously tag convicted sex offenders with a radio transmitter.

Bob

I would just never let them out of jail. I do not see why childrens safety should be traded against the human rights of some peadophile.

Regards

Mick

The convicted child abuser should never get out of jail in my view. It is the one crime for which I have no sympathy at all for any of those convicted.

The words, "Key, Throw, and Away," spring to mind...

Sincerely, Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by Mick Parry:
Bob

I would just never let them out of jail. I do not see why childrens safety should be traded against the human rights of some peadophile.

Regards

Mick

No you're too considerate to these bastards. These pricks just don't deserve to live...
(now lets hear the civil libertarians bite )

I think death would be too easy a way out for them. They should have their genitalia removed with a rusty penknife.