Youth worker wants boxing in schools

http://news.smh.com.au/youth-worker-wants-boxing-in-schools/20080127-1off.html

A leading youth welfare worker is calling for boxing to be included in Australian school education programs in a bid to combat violence and poor health.

Les Twentyman, a former teacher and social worker with Open Family, said including boxing in school curriculums would go a long way to tackling problems like street violence, bullying in schools and obesity.

Mr Twentyman said reports of recent assaults in Victoria involving gangs of youths attacking individuals showed that many youngsters lacked respect and were incapable of sorting out problems sensibly and responsibly.

"Apart from the basic point of being able to look after yourself, there's also the issue of boosting your self-confidence, it honours the rules of engagement and also creates a sense of dignity," Mr Twentyman told AAP.

"You read the newspapers and watch TV and see all these attacks with six or seven people attacking one person, and then there's the kids carrying weapons - it's just wrong. There's no sense of fair play.