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The Victorians gave us the Christmas cracker – but are also to blame for the terrible jokes insid
Bob Nicholson, Edge Hill University Why is a Christmas pudding like the Atlantic Ocean? Because it is full of currants. Have you heard that one before? It’s the kind of groan-worthy pun that often gets an airing at this time of year. Millions of people in Britain will pull a cracker on Christmas Day, don…
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Hearing from the experts: giving young offenders a voice
Last week the Youth Justice Board launched their Young Person Participation Strategy entitled giving young people a voice in youth justice. The strategy outlines the importance of capturing the views and opinions of young people who offend. Also, what is made clear is that children SHOULD have the opportunity to get involved in decisions about…
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How prevalent is sexual abuse in sport?
As one of a small number of academics researching sexual abuse in sport, I’ve been asked how widespread this problem is many times since the footballer Andy Woodward broke his silence and told his story of abuse to the national media. But while there is some research that points to the prevalence of sexual abuse…
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From Nickelback to Sesame Street: how music is used to battle crime and fight war
A Canadian police force on Prince Edward Island is threatening drink drivers with the music of Nickelback. Police in the town of Kensington have said: On top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a year’s driving suspension we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the office’s copy of Nickelback…
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How caring for a child with complex health needs can be both isolating and extraordinary
Bernie Carter, Edge Hill University and Lucy Bray, Edge Hill University Very few people would describe being a parent as easy. Not only does it require a shift in perspective so that your child, or children come first, but it also draws on knowledge and skills you didn’t know you would need. Who would have…
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Health literacy can be a matter of life or death
Keegan Shepard, Edge Hill University The basic ability to read is essential in looking after one’s health, especially when managing a chronic illness that requires various treatments and medications. It is estimated that patients with low health literacy cost anywhere from US $106 billion to $238 billion each year in the US alone, which equates…
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Spalding murders must not be used to justify more punitive responses to young offenders
Sean Creaney, Edge Hill University and Stephen Case, Loughborough University Two teenagers convicted of stabbing and smothering to death a mother and daughter in their own home in Spalding, Lincolnshire have been sentenced to life in prison. The extreme nature of the sentence – which means the two will not be eligible for parole for…
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Restorative Justice offers benefits to victims and offenders
Restorative Justice, simply put, is concerned with conflict resolution and the repairing of harm caused by anti-social behaviour and crime. It involves the offender accepting responsibility and apologising to the victim. It is good value for money and can provide great benefits to victims and offenders. Meeting face to face can be a powerful and…
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Barry Goldwater’s ‘paranoid style’ may yet win Trump the presidency
The historian Richard Hofstadter wrote a still widely read 1964 essay for Harper’s Magazine outlining what he called the “paranoid style” in American politics. Marked by “a sense of heated exaggeration”, suspicion, and wild fears of political conspiracy, it was, he argued, a common part of American political life. It dated back to the rise…
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Young offenders views rendered invalid: children must have a stronger voice in the system
Across the youth justice system, young offenders’ views are not being listened to and in turn there has been a failure to act upon their wishes. But if this reluctance to allow youth offenders to have a say in the care they are receiving is not addressed, there will be a negative impact both on…
