[mobertol]

A resounding "Yes" - I've always told my 2 boys (now 19 and 23) that honesty is the best pollicy and to admit their wrong-doing immediately and accept the punishment (and yes, i did smack them when they were young if they did anything wrong!), they are not perfect but hopefully they are at least honest.
If basic rules and discipline are given at home -followed up at school and in their social activities, most youngsters grow up to be good citizens. It's natural for them to want to test boundaries as they are growing up, so you get the odd time where they try it on in one minor way or another. I think that the fact that so many of these "looters" jumped on the band-wagon once they saw what was started by organised groups and gangs, shows a general and quite diffuse lack of discipline and consequently of principles from the family in the first place and then in schools where the staff have their hands tied these days.... I'm not saying "Bring back the birch" or for that matter "caning" in schools, but, on the other hand a return to basic rules and regulations which are then enforced is a must, if you keep letting your children off the hook for their misdemeanours, then they'll just carry on doing what they fancy with no thought for the consequences and no sense or wrong or right.
(Sorry if this is difficult reading but my punctuation has probably gone to pot as this subject really makes me see red!)