From 'Grassing' to Safeguarding

From 'Grassing' to Safeguarding: Changing the Conversation

Iain Corbett, Freelance Fearless Senior Practitioner

It takes a village to raise a child…

If you believe that, you must also conclude, like I do, that we all have a role to play in keeping our children safe. I am passionate about keeping children and young people safe, upholding their rights and supporting them to realise their potential. But simply ‘being passionate’ about something really means nothing. It’s an interest, an idea. Not an action. So, what then, can you do to keep children safe?

I have been working with Fearless Scotland on a freelance basis for the last six months, and I so far I have loved every second; but, if I’m being honest, I was reluctant - at first -  to join. Not because I didn’t believe in their message. Not because I didn’t believe in Lyndsay and the work she does. Not because I think what they do is anything other than exceptional…but because, well, you don’t grass, do ye…?

If, like me, you grew up in a working-class community, then for your whole life the message has been clear: you see nothing, you say nothing. Grassing is a cardinal sin; ‘snitches get stitches’. Those involved in crime have played a blinder – they’ve convinced swathes of the population that REPORTING a crime is actually worse than COMMITTING a crime. Mad when you think about it - but this view is so entrenched in our psyche that the idea of being attached to an organisation focused on crime reporting made me…uneasy, to say the least.

From a professional perspective, much of my career has been focused around supporting children and young people in conflict with the law, and as such, I resent the over-criminalisation of children and young people. So, I had to ask myself – does Fearless, an organisation focused on reporting crime, actually go against not just my personal beliefs, but my professional ideology too?

Well, no.

Here’s why. 

If we believe that it takes a village to raise a child, then we must also consider whether the safety and behaviour of a child are in our hands too. Children are the product of the environment in which they grow. Many of our criminal justice issues are the manifestation of social justice issues and the context in which a child grows plays a massive part in the person, the community member, they become. 

So, what’s this got to do with reporting crime? Well, who benefits when crime goes unreported? Those committing crime. And with more crime comes more problems. Communities become less safe. Young people grow up afraid and anxious. Crime becomes normalised. The context changes…

What, then, if speaking up about crime isn’t about ‘grassing’, but is about safeguarding? What is it’s not about the person committing an offence but rather is about creating a community that feels safer, that IS safer. What if its about protecting children from harm, upholding their rights and helping them realise their potential, and what if we all changed how we view speaking up about crime? 

I decided to join Fearless, not because I’m all of a sudden comfortable with the notion of ‘grassing’ but because my passion to support young people will always outweigh the stigma faced by talking about crime reporting. Changing this culture is a very practical step, that we can all get involved in, that will have very tangible results. So, if you too are passionate about keeping our children safe, have a think how you can contribute to this culture shift – Afterall, it takes a village to raise a child.