Yet what the response to all these thwarted discussions and attempted explanations shows is the extent to which collective adult authority has been eroded. Police are reluctant to exercise stop-and-search powers in case they are accused of racism. Teachers are warned not to exclude badly behaved pupils in case doing so leads to their imprisonment. We are reluctant to name black teenagers or lone-parent families in case we are accused of bigotry. Doing what is considered politically correct – not discussing race, keeping violent children in school – comes to replace what is morally correct: keeping all children safe from violence.