A disturbing drift ...

IS society changing? In its turn, every generation thinks that it is. And for the worst.

Turn back the Observer's files by a century and drunkeness, leading to domestic violence and real poverty, was a major problem.

The war-time generation blamed the black-out and fear of imminent death for loosening moral standards.

The post-war generation blamed everything from television to horror comics for such passing aberrations as razor-wielding Teddy Boys and Mods and Rockers riots.

"Beat Rave" dances at the De La Warr Pavilion were ended a couple of decades ago because a minority of those attending saw it as an opportunity to smash the building '“ or other dance-goers.

Every perceived threat from drugs to violent video games is forwarded as the root cause of today's problems.

Each generation, therefore, needs to look soberly at the ills that present themselves and consider whether they really do represent a general worsening of standards of behaviour in the community or are simply that era's version of something which is as old as the human race itself.