Feral kids.

There's a difference between kids simply hanging about because they have 'nothing to do', and others running riot and causing absolute mayhem because they are being actively encouraged to do so on the likes of TikTok.
And no matter how many clubs or activities are available to them, there will always be some who shun anything 'organised'. The police are limited in what they can do - the kids know they can't lay a finger on them. What the answer is, I don't know.

twaddle

David49

They didn't have the gangs of schoolchildren where children were intimidated into joining a gang and got beaten up if they didn't or belonged to a different gang.

It's not just parents, schools and police don't tackle the problem, far too afraid of being accused of discrimination.

I don't know where you spent your childhood years, but in the town where I grew up on the 60s, there most certainly were gangs of schoolchildren. They were led by members of a handful of notorious families and people did get beaten up (or worse) if they crossed gang members. Even then, money was to be made from drug trafficking and it was known that weapons circulated.

During 1930s to 1970s when I and my sons were growing up there were gangs that were known to local police officers who were active and successful in keeping order. However those were rural areas or small market towns.

Today's inner cities and less affluent suburbs are plagued with gangs. And county lines drug- trafficking is a new problem.

Old style social control by respected members of communities such as teachers, doctors ,and priests no longer holds back the tide of organised crime

Btw, I’m pretty sure if “gangs” of a 100 children were running amok on a regular basis it would be all over the media!

I attended Primary School in the sixties and Secondary School in the seventies, in Essex, there certainly were gangs.

Remember the Krays?

eazybee

I watched Stacey Solomon and Team clearing clutter with a mixed race family of five children in a small house surviving financial difficulties. A happy and loving family with two strong, loving parents with a strong work ethic, and apparently a supportive family on both sides.
The most important thing in child welfare emanates from good parents, preferably two of them. Very difficult to replicate.

Yes.

I watched Stacey Solomon and Team clearing clutter with a mixed race family of five children in a small house surviving financial difficulties. A happy and loving family with two strong, loving parents with a strong work ethic, and apparently a supportive family on both sides.
The most important thing in child welfare emanates from good parents, preferably two of them. Very difficult to replicate.

David49

They didn't have the gangs of schoolchildren where children were intimidated into joining a gang and got beaten up if they didn't or belonged to a different gang.

It's not just parents, schools and police don't tackle the problem, far too afraid of being accused of discrimination.

I don't know where you spent your childhood years, but in the town where I grew up on the 60s, there most certainly were gangs of schoolchildren. They were led by members of a handful of notorious families and people did get beaten up (or worse) if they crossed gang members. Even then, money was to be made from drug trafficking and it was known that weapons circulated.

mum2three

Now we are seeing the effects of all this liberalism. There have been riots in the past, but they were quickly controlled by riot police. Was it Boris Johnson who suggested having water cannon for just this sort of situation?
In short, they are doing it because they can. We have bred a generation of savages. If they behave like wild animals, treat them accordingly. Round them up and put them in a secure enclosure. Make the parents pay to have them released.

How utterly ridiculous and judgemental.

Are you a mother and grandmother? You’re describing your own grandchildren.

TikTok is a menace, some children are a menace too.

No! We’ve not bred an entire generation of feral children!

David49

They didn't have the gangs of schoolchildren where children were intimidated into joining a gang and got beaten up if they didn't or belonged to a different gang.

It's not just parents, schools and police don't tackle the problem, far too afraid of being accused of discrimination.

I agree, David. Criminal cultures are hard to deal with partly because of ethnic or religious complications.

henetha

I have seen, over my lifetime, the erosion of all the old punishments and controls that kept children civilised.
No-one wants a return to children being caned, etc, but we do need to be a whole lot firmer with them, starting from when they are very young. At home and at school.
It's also the closing down of amenities, youth clubs etc for teenagers to keep them off the streets; the dreadful lack of mental health facilities; and the influence of social media.
Not just on children. So many times I have seen mums in cafes or parks completely lost in their phone while their children are causing havoc.

Mums not paying much attention to their kids can be good for children The problem you describe, Henetha, was not due entirely to the mums not controlling their children but at least partly to the unsuitable venue.

Do you consider the confines of a cafe suits children at play?

I have seen, over my lifetime, the erosion of all the old punishments and controls that kept children civilised.
No-one wants a return to children being caned, etc, but we do need to be a whole lot firmer with them, starting from when they are very young. At home and at school.
It's also the closing down of amenities, youth clubs etc for teenagers to keep them off the streets; the dreadful lack of mental health facilities; and the influence of social media.
Not just on children. So many times I have seen mums in cafes or parks completely lost in their phone while their children are causing havoc.

mum2three

Now we are seeing the effects of all this liberalism. There have been riots in the past, but they were quickly controlled by riot police. Was it Boris Johnson who suggested having water cannon for just this sort of situation?
In short, they are doing it because they can. We have bred a generation of savages. If they behave like wild animals, treat them accordingly. Round them up and put them in a secure enclosure. Make the parents pay to have them released.

It's not that feral children are bad. What is bad is that feral children are badly socialised by malign influences.

Of course people are afraid of being accused of discrimination as they are likely to lose their jobs these days and this is part of a huge problem.

They didn't have the gangs of schoolchildren where children were intimidated into joining a gang and got beaten up if they didn't or belonged to a different gang.

It's not just parents, schools and police don't tackle the problem, far too afraid of being accused of discrimination.

Grandmabatty

Those kids are the product of poor parenting, social media and years of tory cuts to the very services to help avoid this. It's not new, is it? Mods and rockers fighting in the 60s, punks in the 70s.

They fought each other.

These children seemed to be out to cause criminal damage for no reason or to attack vulnerable innocent people.

Nowhere to go, nothing to do, no youth clubs?

mum2three

Now we are seeing the effects of all this liberalism. There have been riots in the past, but they were quickly controlled by riot police. Was it Boris Johnson who suggested having water cannon for just this sort of situation?
In short, they are doing it because they can. We have bred a generation of savages. If they behave like wild animals, treat them accordingly. Round them up and put them in a secure enclosure. Make the parents pay to have them released.

Well said mum2three. 👏 👏

Grandmabatty

Those kids are the product of poor parenting, social media and years of tory cuts to the very services to help avoid this. It's not new, is it? Mods and rockers fighting in the 60s, punks in the 70s.

Quite.

But they have rights! [grin}

Those kids are the product of poor parenting, social media and years of tory cuts to the very services to help avoid this. It's not new, is it? Mods and rockers fighting in the 60s, punks in the 70s.

Some of them were only 13.

Now we are seeing the effects of all this liberalism. There have been riots in the past, but they were quickly controlled by riot police. Was it Boris Johnson who suggested having water cannon for just this sort of situation?
In short, they are doing it because they can. We have bred a generation of savages. If they behave like wild animals, treat them accordingly. Round them up and put them in a secure enclosure. Make the parents pay to have them released.