100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Ashley Robinson: how old-school measures helped curb bad behaviour

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Hospital locks in health partners ahead of opening

An under-construction hospital on the Sunshine Coast has unveiled key tenants, ahead of its likely opening in 2026. The Maroochy Private Hospital, an advanced health More

Woman dies from stab wound near Gympie

A woman has died near Gympie after suffering a stab wound last night. Police were called to Creekside Esplanade, Cooloola Cove, about 7.15pm following reports More

Prominent swimwear group hits the market

A decades-old retail swimwear group that has outlets on a bustling tourist strip is set to change hands. The Noosa Swimwear Collective, which comprises four More

Hosed down: emergency levy rise fizzles out

Thousands of Sunshine Coast homeowners and businesses will no longer face an Emergency Service Levy increase after the state government abandoned the plan amid More

Photo of the day: rising sun

The view over the Mooloolah River, as captured by Helen Browne. If you have a photo of the day offering, email photo@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. Photos must be More

Shooting star: teen wins national pageant

A Sunshine Coast teenager who promotes empowerment, mental health awareness and body positivity has won a national pageant to secure her place on the More

Discipline is on everyone’s lips at the moment, with a youth crime wave seemingly out of control.

There are two sides to the argument – one offering advice on stricter penalties, and the other saying it won’t work and more support is needed for the wayward behaviour.

I agree with harsher penalties, but I do see both sides of the argument.

Here we go again with back in my day … discipline never hurt me.

I got hauled up to the principal’s office day one of Grade 1 and got a pretty clear message about bad behaviour.

It was another nine years before I got caned at high school, which only happened once because I didn’t really enjoy it (I have a very low pain threshold, actually) and it never happened again.

In my view, it worked a treat: both times the threat of and, finally, the pain of.

Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.

The last year of school, I got my licence, which had its ups and downs – like the time I was riding my motorbike around the outside of the footy field at the PCYC and the Sergeant came down, hauled me off the bike and kicked me up the backside with his size 10 police-issue boots, right in front of all my mates.

Did I go home and tell my Dad I had been assaulted? No way, as I would have copped a size 9 up the rear end.

Youth crime appears to be a statewide issue. Picture: Shutterstock

A couple of weeks later, I was riding my motorbike with no stop light and got pulled up after I tried to hide from the motorcycle cop.

He gave me a lecture and took my licence off me, made me push my bike home about two kilometres and told me to turn up at the police station with my dad to get my licence back.

I walked everywhere for the rest of the week, telling my parents I needed the exercise before I finally confessed about what happened and we went and got my licence back – not before copping a spray at home and another at the cop shop.

If the interaction with the police happened today, it wouldn’t be me who was in trouble, it would be them, which I think says it all.

Actions used to have consequences.

Now, they have excuses and someone else to blame.

We have made our bed and now we are lying in it.

Note I said lying, not laying.

Ashley Robinson is chairman of Sunshine Coast Falcons and Sunshine Coast Thunder Netball and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share