I was listening to a late night programme on the radio last night, the gist of the discussion was about the criminal record of people being a problem for people who were looking for gainful employment later in their adult life, only to find that an infringement of the law during their formative years (Teens) was proving to be a real stumbling block when it came to interviews. Most of the infringements were of a minor nature, but resulting in catostrophic results when it came to gaining employment. Some of these people had committed minor infringements during their childhood or teens, of course there was a large variety of offences, some minor, some relatively serious, but all proving equally devastating. Many of the people interviewed had let exemplary lives from their teens for as many as 25 / 30 years without further infringements, but still penalised for their earlier lapses. I reflected on my own childhood, I clearly remember that the local bobby would give you a good clip around the ear if he caught you doing anything anti-social, you certainly did not go to your parents ( In my case my grandparents, who raised myself and my sister) and tell them, you would just get another clip around the ear.
I was involved with my friends (During WW2) in raiding a neighbours orchard and stealing apples from his trees. The policeman came to our home and told my grandparents that I had been involved in this terrible crime, the net result was that the policeman told my grandparents that I owed the princely sum of five shillings (25p) for the apples. I had no pocket money untill that "fine" was paid, and I had to take it personally to the neighbour concerned, all part of my punishment. Once that our own children had had gotten married and left home my wife became involved with youthwork to fill the gap that she now found in her life. Of course it was inevitable that I would become involved at some point, and I joined her until I finished at the age of 60, she continued until she was 70. I was asked many times by the authorities (Youth service) why I had not gotten into more trouble along with my friends, the only reason that I could give was that I never wanted to let my grandparents down, they had sacrificed a great deal when they took on the responsibility of my sister and myself, they were good people who led by example.