Unsafe Streets.....

[SamF]

You can't blame the parents for everything, some people act completely different from their upbringing would suggest.

The problem in my opinion is lack of confidence. Ask the majority of secondary school pupils what they are good at and they will not be able to answer you, ask them what they are bad at and the list is never ending such is the moral of todays youth. People group together, cause trouble, commit crimes to gain some self confidence, even if this is an unfavourable was to get it. Constant media attention on how todays youth is causing so many problems, if you are told enough times that you are something, you start to accept that you are that thing.

So much pressure is put on people in schools to succeed academically. If you are not successful in school or in a popular sport then you can go sixteen years without finding one thing that you are good at. Day in day out struggling, knowing that your time is being wasted.

There should be more variety in the education system. If a person is constantly doing badly in traditional lessons, give them the chance to learn a trade, some pre-forces training. Not everyone is suited for academic learning and having people who are bored, inadequate and uninterested not only damages the futures of these individuals but the pupils in the same classes as them, who are constantly being slowed down due to teachers being forced to attempt to teach the unteachable.

Yes it is unfortunate that people are scared to walk the street alone, but that is today's world and the only one I have known. It is easy enough to be safe, stick to main roads, make sure you know the nearest "safe place" (be that a persons house, a public place such as shop or anything else) and keep your head down.

I am 16 and yes I do get intimidated by others my age, however I am also friends with people who would be labelled as thugs by many despite the fact they have never done anything wrong, simply the fact they wear a hoody immediately brands them as criminals.

I myself will look imtimidating to some, standing at over 6ft, short back and sides, tracksuit bottoms and sports shirt when I am going to play football. I have never commited an anti-social crime in my life and if you asked anyone who actually knows me if I was intimidating and they would laugh.

I actually find it quite amusing how the clothes I wear can completely change the reactions of those around me, if I am in my normal clothes of scruffy jeans and t-shirt then my pressence goes unnoticed. Change into some tracksuit bottoms and football shirt to go for a kick about and people would cross the road rather than walk near me


I apologise for the pointless length of this post, I started typing and couldn't stop. I also apologise for any spelling/ grammar errors, never been my strong point, and I'm on target for an A at AS level English Language, scarey eh ?

[garinda]

SamF, it breaks my heart when people say they are lacking in confidence, or even worse, shy.

I think everyone is too some extent shy underneath the bravado. It's partly a survival instinct. If we ran head first everywhere we'd probably be dead. People just mask it in different ways. I do it by trying to be funny.

No one is given an instruction book about how to live, you just find your own way. There is no right or wrong way.

Just remember you are as good as every other person, and just be yourself, which judging from the things you post on here, is a pretty okay sort of a person.

One of the good things about getting older is shyness usually disappears. You realise lifes too short to worry about what other people think about anything, including yourself.

[tadah]

If i have kids they will not be little bast***s. If there are then they would be very sorry once ive got hold of them.

[panther]

sam you will go far, better than half of these waste of spacers about

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

It IS a good thread, and I am very impressed by the young people who are airing their views on here....yes, you should be proud of yourselves.
As for boredom, lack of money etc as excuses for these hooligans....well, it doesn't wash. If young people want to go out and find something of social value to occupy themselves with, then they can. If they want to be seen by their peer group as 'street wise' or whatever the current phrase is, then they will hang about on street corners...swearing, drinking and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Much of the disrespectful behaviour comes from upbringing (or maybe, lack of it) and the fact that there is no local bobby with powers to stop these shenanigans.

I grew up in the 50's and there was no money, no TV, we weren't bored.There were church dances, boy scouts, girl guides. Occaisionally we would rustle up the money to go to the pictures or to the swimming baths..........we didn't get into the trouble that some of the kids today do....and they are only KIDS.

Me too, I was raised in the 50s ... no brass, etc. But to argue that it is upbringing is to argue that those who are doing, or did, the upbringing somehow failed to pass on the values they aquired ... or that they resented the upbringing and tried something different with their kids ... sounds like it didn't work all that well in some cases, and damned well in others.
One hates to put the blame on things outside of our control, it's kinda like surrendering without firing a shot. However, it is a different world ... globalization and all that bullcrap.
I live in a community where to mention unsafe streets is to initiate a discussion of the potholes which appear every spring

[MargaretR]

I was a teen in the 50's. Remember teddy boys - I have found this on a websearch:-

"As with most young people, they tended to go around in groups, often described as gangs and considered to be “ready to rumble”, being well provided with ingenious weaponry. Legend has it that razor blades were hidden in the peaks of the caps, slipped under the stitching. Bicycle chains were draped under the lapels, ready to whip out and injure an opponent. Fish hooks would be concealed inside the velvet lapel tops, so anyone grasping this part of the apparel would find themselves stuck, with the hooks in their hands, enabling the Teddy Boy to deliver a disabling head-butt straight at their enemy!"

There's sadly 'nothing new under the sun'

[WillowTheWhisp]

I think self confidence does grow with age. My kids do have a certain amount of confidence in themselves but they say I embarrass them when I do some things like taking a pink fluffy bunny out with us and getting them to pose it for photographs. A couple of weeks ago I was in Music Zone with them both and I started tapping my foot to whatever was playing. Em said, "Don't dance! Mum Do NOT dance!" - then when I started to sing along she pretended she didn't know me.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I do some things like taking a pink fluffy bunny out with us and getting them to pose it for photographs.

http://www.childline.org.uk/CallingChildLine.asp

[MargaretR]

LOL - nice one Garinda - will give you karma for that (when I learn how)

As a PS to my post 10 mins ago - there were 'rumbles' at least weekly at Church Con Club and Joe Morts club.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by garinda

http://www.childline.org.uk/CallingChildLine.asp

Mimi says thanks, she'll make a note of that.

[SimonGudgeon]

The works of Charles Darwin enlightened us to how nature works regarding evoultion of species' including humans. Basically, the weak perish and the strong survive leading to enhanced generations. However, in this day and age, the weak* get benefits, and are encouraged not to evolve and better themselves which is holding society back.

(*by weak I am only talking about the underclass of people implied in this thread and do not wish to discriminate against anybody) - covered.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by SimonGudgeon

The works of Charles Darwin enlightened us to how nature works regarding evoultion of species' including humans. Basically, the weak perish and the strong survive leading to enhanced generations. However, in this day and age, the weak* get benefits, and are encouraged not to evolve and better themselves which is holding society back.

(*by weak I am only talking about the underclass of people implied in this thread and do not wish to discriminate against anybody) - covered.

Not really, this a major misunderstanding of Darwin, and of "evolution": I think that Calvin is a little closer on this, and Spencer is a lot closer. The "benefit" system has been around a long time, from the Elizabethan Poor Laws, and probably even before that.
To view a social safety net in this way is Thatcherism. (Attilla the Hen was not a rascist; she hated the poor, whatever color they were.)

[SimonGudgeon]

There's a space at the front of the que to urinate on Thatchers grave. It's just plain depressing that's all. There's not enough unity. Where are the shepherds? Who has faith?

[Lampman]

A very interesting thread(apart from the diversion),it is good to have it reaffirmed that there are good natured,kind and intelligent young people all around;it's just that they don't usually get the publicity!
As a footnote sounding like little Sir echo....is this the time for After School care to be cut back?

[Mancie]

Originally Posted by Lampman

A very interesting thread(apart from the diversion),it is good to have it reaffirmed that there are good natured,kind and intelligent young people all around;it's just that they don't usually get the publicity!
As a footnote sounding like little Sir echo....is this the time for After School care to be cut back?

Lampman.. I presume you are involed with young people through work or otherwise... You must know that it's not just some youngsters that are polite and good natured, but that the vast majority are.

It's all to often that posts on AccyWeb "right off" the young people of Accy as being out of control and having bad parents... but surprisingly non of these "bad kids" are ever the offspring of members of this site, very strange.. the law of average says there must be!