Lord of the Flies and Pitcairn Island:

The Paradox of Paradise

An ELA Task 2 Regents

WebQuest

S. Maloney

English Department

Harry S. Truman High School

Introduction

In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies Ralph says, “This is our island. It’s a good island. Until the grownups come to fetch us we’ll have fun.” And the kids do have fun—for a while. But things quickly break down, and no one is having fun, except for Jack and his band of “hunters.”

In Paradise, things don't always go as planned.

Pitcairn Island was populated in 1789 by a group of mutineers from the British ship Bounty. They created a new world of their own—a world very different from the late 18^th century Britain from which they had come. They built an existence that seemed close to Paradise--until recently, when some of their descendents went on trial for child sexual abuse.

In 2004, six men on Pitcairn Island were convicted of the sexual abuse of young girls. (One other pleaded guilty.) One of the convicted men was the mayor of the island, Steve Christian, a descendent of Fletcher Christian, the leader of the original mutineers. The prosecutors in the cases claimed that sexual abuse on the island dated back at least forty years.

You are a member of the Island Council on and must help decide what should be done to avoid future abuses. Can these men be rehabilitated, and when their prison terms have expired can they return to their normal jobs and lives on the island? Does the island need to institute more protections against sexual offenders?

What went wrong in Paradise?

And what do you do about it?

Task:

You will investigate at least two sources about child sexual abuse in order to come up with a plan to deal with the problem on Pitcairn Island. You will present your findings in a report of approximately 250 words, and you will make specific reference to two sources, including information from the tables in the Department of Justice report. In your report you will argue whether the child abusers on Pitcairn Island are likely to be rehabilitated, and whether the island needs to change some of its social structures and traditions to insure the safety of its children.

Process:

Using the steps of the Public Policy Analyst (PPA), investigate the problem and determine whether the citizens of Pitcairn Island need to institute a better policy to deal with child sex offenders. You do not need to come up with a specific policy at this point; simply investigate the existing problem and decide if the Council needs to take further action.

1. Define the Problem

What exactly is the problem with child abuse on the island? Be sure to take into account the particular location and the duration of the problem. Worksheet 1 should be helpful in nailing down the problem.

2. Gather the Evidence

Using two of the sources listed below in the Resources section, find evidence that the problem exists, and evidence of the nature of the problem and the incidence of recidivism. Use Worksheet 2 from the PPA.

3. Identify the Causes

Review the sources you read for the previous steps in order to pinpoint the causes of the child abuse in this particular case. You have probably noted some of these causes already; use Worksheet 3 to record the data specific to cause.

4. Evaluate the existing Policy

Who holds power on this island? What is likely to happen to the convicted men of Pitcairn when they are released? From the sources you have read, how likely are they to become repeat offenders? Use Worksheet 4.

5. Suggest solutions if necessary

Review your research and worksheets and determine whether Pitcairn Island needs to make some changes in order to protect its citizens better. (Develop Solutions). Pay special attention to the causes of the problem and what you have learned about the government of the island. Use Worksheet 5

Resources

Search Engines:

Google

Yahoo

Altavista

Web Sources:

Times of London article on Pitcairn trial outcome and prevention of abuse.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1329199,00.html

Wikipedia article on Steve Christian and the trial

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Christian

U.S. Department of Justice report: Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994.

"Introduction and highlights," pp. 1-2 (Adobe browser will read "7 of 49" and "8 of 49") and

"Rearrest and reconviction for a new sex crime," p. 24, Tables 21 and 22 (Adobe browser will read "30 of 49").

http://www.ojp.uddoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/rsorp94.pdf

Evaluation

Rubric for Written Report

(Adapted from ELA Regents Task 2 Rubric)

A=14-16 points B=11-13 points C= 8-10 points D=below 8 points

Quality	4	3	2	1
Meaning/ Controlling Idea	Thorough understanding of documents Clear, explicit connections between documents and task	Basic understanding of documents Implicit connections between documents and task	Confused or inaccurate understanding of documents Few or superficial connections between documents and task	Minimal or no understanding of documents No connection between documents and task
Development/ Explanation of ideas Specific evidence	Clear and full development of ideas Relevant and specific details from documents	Some ideas developed more clearly than others Relevant and specific details from documents	Brief or incomplete development of ideas Vague or irrelevant references to documents	Ideas not developed No reference to documents
Organization	Clear focus on task Logical and coherent structure	Focus on task Some internal inconsistency	Suggestion of focus on task, but focus not maintained	Little or no focus on task or organization
Conventions/ Language	Strong control of conventions of grammar/spelling Awareness of audience and purpose	Good control of conventions Occasional errors do not hinder meaning	Basic control of conventions Occasional errors that hinder meaning	Lack of control Frequent errors that make understanding difficult

Standards

ELA 1: Language for Information and Understanding

ELA 3: Language for Critical Evaluation and Understanding

SS 5: Civics, Citizenship and Government

Conclusion

You have now taken a look at a real-life situation in which society's sense of order and appropriate behavior have badly broken down—a modern, real-life Lord of the Flies. The question you have debated—how to protect society, especially vulnerable children, from sexual predators--is one that is hotly debated in many countries today, including the U.S. It's a complicated legal issue, and you haven't really looked at the legal issues. Still, you've given some serious thought to the nature of civilization. Is it something inside us, or something imposed from outside?

And—Do you believe in Paradise?