Generally, I wouldn't send a child to do an adult's job.
1st of all, whether this is understood consciously or not, punishment primarily satisfies the punishers, in and of itself. Punishing an adult by forcing that adult to heed a lecture from a child may satisfy the child's ego, and it may satisfy the ego of those who empower the child, but that simply guarantees that any remedial effect will be incidental, and will have nothing to do with the punishment itself, or any humiliatory aspects of that punishment.
It would depend on the quality of the monologue the child is reading, which may very well have the same benefit outside of a purile punishment scenario, for both the victim and the reader, assuming the reader can understand what he is reading.
2nd, anyone who is averse to humiliation will be far more likely to contribute to the growing disdain for the police and the state than to gain a remedial effect. This might actually cancel any possible remedial effect if the punishment is in anyway perceived as an abuse of power for its own sake.
3rd, there is a disturbing trend to elect the underage to do the work of adults, with far reaching consequences that defy examination, as well as understanding. Are these children paid for their time and effort? What do they understand about what they are going to say and/or do? What, if anything, do they learn from doing it? Are any of these lessons accurate or good for the kid, for the adult he/she will become?
We already know that the present so-called 'road safety culture' is suspect of not having actual road safety as its primary function. These children will learn things from that culture, the experience they are being asked to participate in sans compensation, and the quality of the monologue they are reading.
4th,
Mallycoop wrote:
If we teach them at this young age that it is OK to tell adults off are we not breeding a generation of yobs in their teens?
I have always encouraged my nephews and my niece to question what is being said, without challenging who said it whenever safely possible, and also to consider how they would feel if they were in a position where either what they said was being questioned, or they were being challenged. Since most children are actively taught not to detect the difference, we may in fact be breeding a generation of teenage yobs.
[Yank]
What's a yob?
[/Yank]
The so-called person who came up with this 'innovative' safety measure no doubt is pleased with himself, and probably finds his ego justified each time someone chooses to be lectured by a ten-year old who couldn't possibly be expected to comprehend or intelligently argue the position he is
reading, probably without being paid,
on some coward or lazy bum's behalf.