ROCK IN RIO

[LDunlop76]

Most of the youths responsible for the vandalism and graffiti are not going into pubs - they're too young and look it. But they are getting drunk - they get a mate who can pass for 18 to buy booze in the off licence or supermarket and then they hang around in the street, drinking. We have a water park at the bottom of our road and the local youth used to congregate there of an evening, but once the drink had flowed, they made nuisances of themselves - vandalising the children's play area, breaking trees, lobbing bottles into the gardens which back onto the water park and so on. So the local police had a crack down and shifted them. Except that all that did was stop the vandalism in the water park and transfer it elsewhere. For a while last summer we had a small gang used to sit on our wall, or occasionally even venture into our garden - we had graffiti on the wall, pavement and our gas meter box, we had bottles and other litter (sanitary protection on one occasion!) thrown across our garden and the language heard through the windows was foul. The police? Powerless.

The trouble is drink is comparatively cheap and even tastes like pop these days (so no taste to acquire) and we seem to have lost sanctions against bad behaviour. Kids are more mobile - we knew only two of the gang who used our wall as a meeting point - so one can't even remonstrate with the parents (and if you do, you only get a mouthful back!) and the police can only do something if they actually catch someone in the act. One is frightened to take action oneself. 1. Lay a hand on these kids and they will sue you for assault because they all know their legal rights. 2. They will retaliate - I'd rather pick up a couple of Bacardi Breezer bottles from the garden than have a brick put through my window.

Kids seem to grow up so fast. 30 years ago 14 year olds went to youth club or did Duke of Edinburgh schemes, but those things seem very tame once the allure of booze, fags and sex kicks in. I don't know why it's worse in the UK than elsewhere, but I do know youth seem to have lost respect for their elders and those in authority over them. It's common place for kids to use their teacher's first names and to question commands in the classroom (according to what our two tell us) - this was unheard of a generation ago. If kids have no fear of what may happen if they misbehave (and let's face it, they get nothing worse than a ticking off first time even if things get as far as court, which it almost never does) then they will push the boundaries as far as they can - after all, that's what the teenage years are about.

[Karen]

No fear of consequeces .... the silent majority have allowed them to be insidiously removed over the years.

Karen.

[Spitfire]

I lay the blame of most of societies ills at the door of the `do-gooders`. My wife was a junior teacher for many years. She didn`t beat children, nor did she believe in it. However SHE DID HAVE THE THREAT of punishment amd bullies and disruptive pupils were afraid of that. When that was taken away from the teachers, it was the same as tying their hands behind their backs. Strangely enough, none of the people who laid down the laws had ever taught!

[Spitfire]

As an afterthought, who are these do-gooders? Who appoints them, what makes them feel that they have the right to say what should be and what should not be?

[LDunlop76]

I tend to agree with you, Spitfire, but one thought which occurs to me is that countries like Sweden outlawed physical punishment of children before we did and yet we don't hear about an epidemic of youth crime elsewhere. Is that because it isn't happening or because we just don't hear about it?

[mossy]

probably the same little toe rags who were smashing up fences on broadfield drive.a forum members son perhaps?

[Spitfire]

???

[shuffy]

exactly Jim, my reaction was the same.

[noel]

Off on another trip ?

[Caroline]

More like a long, torturously slow bending of the joint than a knee-jerk!!