Youth Crime

[Marshal Murat]

Youth Killed trying to imitate stunt
16 year old facing abduction charges
Liverpodlian killing has a 15-year old suspect
BBC discussion on gangs

So what do we mean by the word gang?

It depends. Firstly a gang, from a policing perspective, means a group of people involved in crime. But a gang can also mean a group which provides emotional or psychological support to its members.

This is particularly important in relation to "wannabes" - teenagers on the fringes of offending who are seduced by some of the symbolism associated with gang culture.

Criminologists tend to say that most young people who break the law do so in a group environment. If you are emboldened by friends it becomes easier to think you can get away with it.

Professor Pitts found that 40% of the young people he came across in his research were "reluctant gangsters" - teens with no criminal record.

Some of these kids are scared of violent reprisals if they leave a gang or disagree with its aims. Affiliation becomes a form of reluctant protection for their family.

Are gangs a serious problem?

Some research is now pointing towards similarities between British gangs and the style of US gangs - namely the role of drug dealing.

The question is whether these changes mean that youth street crime is fundamentally changing from minor offending or anti-social behaviour to something more sinister and difficult to stop.

While this issue is not only UK related, I read about a teenage group (14-19) called 'Hardcore' who only disrupt peaceful people. Then there is also the teen groups who harass people in London. While I do not live in the UK, I have heard about this from people who have visited London or Britain.

I believe that a military draft or manual labor (decrease obesity?) should be more the order to decrease the time that they have to both people. While many of you might not agree with it, it is an issue.
What would you do, what have you thought about doing?

I also worry about the possibility that the impressionable youths could be persuaded to take on more radical ideals, either political or religious, and cause more damage and destruction.
There is a rise either in the reports of the teenage crimes, or are there more crimes being committed by teens, leading to a rise in reports. There is a problem and this only highlights the issue at hand. Youth crime and violence.

What are your thoughts?

[Strike For The South]

With these idoits and the growing demographic crsis. I know Im going to be underskilled and overpaid.

[Odin]

What are your thoughts?

I was playing basketball a few years ago at a public park with guys 15-20 years younger then I was. There was a foul things got heated, I laughed. Now I wasnt in the heated argument, but I laughed, one of the kids threatens me and pushes me.

I tackle him, rest my knee on his chest and keep hitting him in the face over and over until he says (and I made him say this) "Please god deliver me from justice".

I beat that kid within an inch of his life, Im lucky I didnt go to jail again but you know what? I still play down there and they leave me alone and we play hard no problems.

The point? Youth crime and violence is often the result of not being firm and allowing for the turn the other cheek mentality. Its noble, but sadly cost ineffective. In my example that kid (I think he was 18 at the time, maybe 17) needed a lesson in humility and he got it.

My old man never hesitated to whip my ass and I turned out alright (albeit prone to violence from time to time), so not only do we have a culture of acceptable violence, but we have a forgiving nurturing culture for those who abuse others rights through crime.

Im a former hooligan, I ought to know.

[NagatsukaShumi]

Gangs are a problem in England amongst young people, I am only just nearly 21 so can sadly say I've been old enough to watch it all going on.

Kids seems to think it is cool to go around in these gangs, they all give themselves names and they love the "gangster" lifestyle. Alot of them are harmless but I can see why a big group of them would intimidate someone, it's no different to a big gang of fooball fans who no doubt are just there for the football and no danger, but it can be intimdating.

The gun and knife crimes are getting out of hand, alot of kids do carry weapons to protect themselves and slowly its just getting more dangerous.

I am glad I stuck well out of it, but its quite worrying now that kids who are hardly the best descision makers at the best of times are carrying guns around with them.

[Husar]

[...]I tackle him, rest my knee on his chest and keep hitting him in the face over and over until he says (and I made him say this) "Please god deliver me from justice".

I beat that kid within an inch of his life, Im lucky I didnt go to jail again but you know what?

[...]

(albeit prone to violence from time to time)

[...]

Im a former hooligan, I ought to know.

I think it's not too bad that you beat him, but within an inch of his life for just pushing you? Are you serious?
It sounds a bit like at that moment you were more concerned about hurting him than teaching him a lesson. I've been a bit like that in primary school, but noone was seriously hurt back then.

I hope you don't/won't do that anymore.

[Odin]

I think it's not too bad that you beat him, but within an inch of his life for just pushing you? Are you serious?
It sounds a bit like at that moment you were more concerned about hurting him than teaching him a lesson. I've been a bit like that in primary school, but noone was seriously hurt back then.

I hope you don't/won't do that anymore.

Well inch of his life is a bit of bluster. The initial blows were hard and strong and he bled, but after that it was just a few jabs to his head until he complyed.

I was concerned with hurting him, the situation was perfect. You see in situations like that I could have backed down, that would have been the adult thing to do, but would that have encouraged him to do the same, or reenforce the behavior?

The net result was, he had a reaction he didnt expect that completely pressed him and his logic.

Essentially someone pushed him back with twice the violent intent he was trying to muster. So do you think he will be encouraged to push people around again or think twice?

I suspect the later

[Sigurd]

Essentially someone pushed him back with twice the violent intent he was trying to muster. So do you think he will be encouraged to push people around again or think twice?

He might be back carrying a gun.

I have seen this escalation of violence before.
Kids doing pranks on a guy's car by letting out the air of its tires.
The guy comes out a scares the kids away. Some older kids tries to bully the man. The man pulls out a hammer and whacks them.
Next day the car is a burned out heap of metal.

Oh this was in Glasgow in 1993 by the way.

[Odin]

He might be back carrying a gun.

Yes, or I could have had one in my car that day.

When one accepts the intoxication of violence, one rarely maps out the various paths of potential remuneration in the moment.

[KrooK]

YOung criminals are nothing more than product of non stress education.
Children who did not experience punishmnet will never understand that some things are forbidden.
I alwamost laugh when hearing "child defenders" telling that punishing children is bad. Notice that when there were harsh punishments for children, there were no young criminals.
Sadly non stress educations seems to be still popular into UE. I hope it will be stopped in Poland. As soon as possible. Otherwise situation here will be like into Britain of France.