Don't upset thugs

[wuz one]

Who are these people who are on the news saying.........We should not call them thugs as we might upset them.........GOD FORBID

[MrBen5]

Hmmm, i think they are your typical do-gooders who are resposible for all the murders, crime, abductions, etc.
even though they are not commiting it themselves...

[ludwig]

It's good advice. You should never upset thugs. I upset some thugs once and they gave me a right good kicking.

[Joe_the_Lion]

I assume it is the same article about saying they musn't be called "Gangs".

Well I hope these bloody do-gooders get mugged, happy slapped, spat on, abused, grabbed, litter thrown in their gardens, car scratched, window smashed, run over by joyriders, or whatever these oiks do nowadays. That'll teach them.

Social Worker peasants.

[ludwig]

this one?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6683211.st m

[jenstar]

Well, if they weren't constantly referred to as gangs, and instead called something less glamorous and without the positive connotation of belonging to a group, then perhaps being in a gang of thugs wouldn't seem so appealing to young people and it might help to reduce the problem a bit. Not solve it, but reduce it.

[naomi24]

What do you suggest we call them then?

[tiny e.a]

C*nts

[Leilapups]

Were none of you young or have you suffered from memory loss?
Some young people have always committed serious crimes either on their own or in a group. However because we are social creatures we like to hang around with others especially when we are teenagers and lack confidence. Are not your average and I mean average not your serious offender hoodies any different from yourself at that age?
Did none of you hang around the streets with your mates, shouting/whispering obscene sexual language about the other people you fancied and insults to your own gender assuming you dind't fancy them. Whilst not deliberately frightening others revelling in the power you had. Also to pass the time away, getting involved in some low key theft and vandalism. Then you grew up and went to Universtiy or got a job eventually getting to an age where the young seem scary.
I did and I am a middle class professional but can remember.

[naomi24]

Leila, No, I didn't behave like them at that age and I don't know anyone who did. Excusing their behaviour serves only to encourage it, and you're doing them no favours at all.

[naomi24]

Just to add, I still don't personally know anyone who behaves like this and I don't think we should accept unacceptable behaviour as normal. It's not.

[tiny e.a]

I used to go out with a lot of friends but I didn't used to hang around with them on the streets, we never vandalised, we never stole and we didn't enjoy the feeling of intimidating people. We used to consider the ones that did scum even when we were the same age as them, even the middle class ones like yourself.

[jump82]

Its called generalising and it tars all sorts of criminals from vandals and pickpockets to burglars and murderers with the same brush, making them all seem as bad as one another. But clearly they're not.

[maxximus]

it would seem some on here had very dull and lonely childhoods, or as leilapups suggests very selective memories.

[naomi24]

Maxximus, no, just decent, hardworking and honest parents - albeit working class and hard up - but who brought their children up to respect other people - and who cared where their children were when they left the house. You make it sound as though the only way for kids to have fun is to carry on as these kids do, and so you condone it. If that's the case, you've led a narrow and very sad life and I feel really sorry for you. There are other and better ways to live you know ... err .... but perhaps you don't.

[maxximus]

i was commenting on the link and leilapups post, struck a nerve did i. so where in the article does it suggest these kids have been up to any kind of behaviour good or bad, other than probably hanging out as a group of friends, doing what most normal teenagers do at night, experiment with drugs, alcohol, fight and chase skirt. your suggesting this is gang activity, therefore criminal behaviour. labelling and stigmatizing young kids far to soon. no doubt you were in church all the time and hated it, judging by your incessant attacks in r&s

[ruby27]

Who are these people on the news?

Well the Youth Justice Board - who after all have an expertise about young people that most of us will not have -what we have is personal opinions whilst not lacking in validity may only be a partial perspective and not looking at the wider picture. Not totally sure who is on the YJB, but it is the governing body for the Youth Offending Teams and the workers in those teams are made up from a variety of professionals including the hippy left, peasant do gooding social workers as well as police officers (well known for their professional softness and tendency to see all young people who commit or may commit offences as just naughty little scally wags), teachers and Youth Workers. They are in daily contact with the young from the groups of young people just hanging out to young people who commit serious crimes either in gangs or not.
By the way Leilapup � I to hung around being offensive with my mates � it was what most of us did and yes as I matured I grew out of such sort of behavior.

[maxximus]

well put, good post ruby27

[naomi24]

maxximus, I'll ignore your uninformed comments. You may see the behaviour you describe as the normal way of life for teenagers, but those I know don't live like that - not one of them - so is it 'normal'? Unless children are taught from the beginning to respect other people what hope do they have of gaining society's respect? As much as I abhor anti-social behaviour, I feel really sorry for the kids because, as you say, they are most definitely stigmatized, but it isn't really their fault. They don't know any different. How many parents can't be bothered to discipline their children from a young age? Walk around any shopping centre to see indulgent parenting in action and hooligans in the making. It's so much easier to say 'yes' than it is to say 'no'. How many parents take the trouble to teach their children social skills, and how many can't be bothered to find out where their kids are and who they're with? People like you who propound the message that anti-social behaviour is 'normal' don't help either. You really are doing these kids no favours at all.

[naomi24]

Ruby, do we take it you think it's normal for kids to be in contact with the YJB?