The suggestion that primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour indicating they may become criminals in later life, has raised concern among many bloggers.
The idea was mooted by Gary Pugh, the director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard and the new DNA spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).
Blogger Hsien-Hsien Lei, a DNA expert, said if the idea had been implemented, she would have been put in a national database for bullying others at school. Now grown out of her bullying and working as work as a genetics information specialist she said:
As a parent, I have observed that certain children do seem to exhibit more 'problem' behavior than others but it is very difficult to tell whether that is due to evil temperament that won't change or if it's the result of family environment or who knows what other mysterious factors that mold our behavior. No criminology assessment can be 100% predictive and there is no way I would allow my child's DNA to be systematically collected for a DNA database unless every single citizen is mandated by law to give theirs too.
Noel Lynch, the chairman of the London Green party, fears the idea is the result of a compulsion by police to ask for more and more powers, moves which should be resisted. He added:
The emphasis on targeting potential future offending school children for inclusion on a DNA database rather than for measures which might help them avoid a future of criminality is as depressing as it is revealing. Clearly some police officers think it is preferable to give up on children and effectively tag them rather than put in the hard work and resources needed to give all children a decent start and avoid the criminality the police think they are on the road towards.
Blogger Angie Felton concurs:
Identifying at-risk children to get them into programs to help them is one thing, gathering DNA evidence in preparation for future crimes sounds like society has given up on them at the age of five and that's just wrong.
However, the government has no intention of giving up on any children identified as "at risk" of becoming criminal. Yesterday it announced that social workers, teachers and doctors will be asked to identify pupils whose behaviour is threatening to become criminal. They will be asked to sign contracts agreeing to mend their ways and offered one-to-one mentoring and training. The intensive intervention projects, described by some as a "baby asbo", will be tested in 20 areas.
So would putting them on a DNA database be alright if they were offered intensive mentoring too?
