A high-pitched sonic device hailed as the perfect weapon to disperse unruly teenagers should be banned because it demonizes young people, the children's watchdog said.
LONDON: A high-pitched sonic device hailed as the perfect weapon to disperse unruly teenagers should be banned because it demonizes young people, the children's watchdog said.
Al Aynsley-Green, Children's Commissioner for England, has launched a 'Buzz Off' campaign to scrap the Mosquito, a gadget that emits a piercing noise only detectable by the sharp ears ofthe young.
''These devices are indiscriminate and target all children and young people, including babies, regardless of whether they are behaving or misbehaving,'' he said in a statement on Tuesday.
''The use of measures such as these is simply demonizing children and young people, creating a dangerous and widening divide between the young and the old.''
There are an estimated 3,500 Mosquito devices in use outside shops and businesses across the country.
The commissioner said he was concerned about the increasingly negative way that society views children.
''We are sending out the message that we as a society don't value our children and young people and we don't respect their rights,'' he added.
Communities that have a problem with teens hanging around should find different ways to deal with the issue, he said.
Shami Chakrabarti, director of rights group Liberty, said, ''What type of society uses a low-level sonic weapon on its children?''
Teenage crime, binge-drinking and gang-related violence are rising up the political agenda, with all the main parties pledging to tackle the issue.
One recent incident, the murder of father-of-three Garry Newlove, 47, after he confronted a gang of vandals prompted a wave of calls for police to take a tougher stance against anti-social behaviour.
Three teenagers were jailed for life on Monday for his murder.
The Mosquito's inventor Howard Stapleton says he has received hundreds of positive reports from police, councils and businesses.
Teenagers he had talked to welcomed the device too, he said, because they themselves used to be intimidated by gangs hanging around shops.
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