Mods, Rockers and Juvenile delinquency in 1964: The government response

• Published in: Contemporary British history 1998-03, Vol.12 (1), p.19-47
• Main Author: Grayson, Richard S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conservative parties; Family relations; Juvenile delinquency; Labour parties; Social history; Social policy; Social workers; United Kingdom; Violence; Wealth
• ISSN: 1361-9462; 1743-7997
• DOI: 10.1080/13619469808581467

This article contributes to the controversial debate on the post-1945 political consensus in Britain. It examines the government response to the fighting between Mods and Rockers on Bank Holidays in 1964. Analysing the official records of the Home Office and the Cabinet Home Affairs Committee, it shows how the state declined to take drastic measures against this particular form of juvenile delinquency. The article then demonstrates how, throughout the 1960s, the Conservative and Labour parties adopted a similar approach to the issue of juvenile delinquency more generally. They did this because of shared assumptions about the nature of the problem, and how it should be dealt with; they believed that it was caused by the 'affluent society', and that it should be remedied by strengthening the family through the provision of help from social workers. Although enthusiasm for government action along these lines was a post-war phenomenon, many of the assumptions underlying it had their roots in the work of pre-war thinkers on juvenile delinquency. This suggests not only that the compass of consensus needs to be redefined to include this important aspect of social policy, but also that in explaining why a consensus existed, we need to take account of debates about juvenile delinquency in the pre-war years.