Why are youngsters so agressive and rude, not all but the majority. What do you think has changed over the years.
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I was in the park yesterday and a young lad came round the corner with a girls bike and dumped it. He walked off and came back and walked past and I asked what was happening with the bike (I persoanlly think it was stolen). The lad was about 14-15, upon asking the question he almost offered me to a fight which I kindly declined as I'm not one to go around hitting people but believe me I felt like it with the abuse he gave me. Why the change in behaviours with the modern day youngster. However that's not all as there are some good kids out there. What's your thoughts? Excuse my humour I placed it under the category of child safety.
Answers (12)
As you say, darry, not all of today's youngsters are aggressive and rude. Where I live, the vast majority of them are lovely kids, but there are some who are indeed aggressive and rude. I think the answer may be in the lack of discipline these youngsters receive, from parents, teachers etc.
Before all the teachers on here come down on me like a ton of bricks...let me just say that I'm certainly not blaming teachers, as it isn't the fault of the teachers, rather it's the fault of an education system that doesn't allow teachers to discipline youngsters as they would like to!
As for parents, in some ways the same applies, but we all know that there are some parents out there who don't even attempt to teach their children good behaviour and respect for others and the property of others.
As a parent of teenagers can I just say not all adults treat these youngsters with respect and sometimes they get a raw deal too. I agree a few are childishly ignorant but some are good kids.
I agree with Fruitcake, it's all about falling standards that simply seem to get worse as the years roll by. From what I have seen, some parents lack any sense of discipline towards their kids and indeed many seem regretful that they ever had children in the first place. Love, affection and direction seem to be so sadly missing in the family units of today. A lot, I suspect, has to do with poor family bonds, relationship problems, debt, insecurity, stress, even mental illness. The children grow up in a world where discipline is a dirty word, even the teachers have to stand back and take the wrath of todays young people. And there is intense and increasing peer pressure with young people to emulate what they consider a powerful stance and of course they are so well informed about their rights nowadays. And they use this rights knowledge to their advantage and create a power ride from it, hence the aggressive and devil-may-care attitudes that we see on our streets. While out on my job a few years ago, I was 'cornered' by a group of about twenty kids, aged ten to eleven I guess, and I suspect from a local travellers site. They were every aggressive for their age, acting like a mob and despite their lack of maturity, could have done a lot of damage and would probably have done so had I risen to their taunts. My reaction was to simply act like them and joke along with them, taking myself to their level. Even making eye contact with some young people is a sign of so called 'disrespect'. Changing times I am afraid. And poor or even no existent direction from parents. All makes for a sadly corrupt selection of young people. On the other hand, there are many, many parents who have the most delightful kids.
I agree with fruicake and snoopy, particularly when it comes to falling standards of discipline in schools. For kids of my generation, unruly or disrespectful behaviour in the classromm would have resulted in a visit to the Head's study - not something to be relished!
That said, I know lots of teenagers who are quite delightful.
In my time it would have been the lash.
I always remember the teachers who used the belt and were wicked with it always had the most obedient students and nary ever a thing went wrong in their classes. Try to argue corporal punishment with the politically correct these days and well...
Isnt it amazing that solutions that would work cannot be tried because of political correctness, human rights act, European Union etc.
If aliens came to this world they would be truly astonished at our seemingly lack of intelligence or should it be common sense?
I agree, Omendata, we had no vandalism, no bad behaviour, no truancy, no problems, at school. Why? Because we had the belt and teachers who used it. It never did any of us any harm at all, and was a real deterrent. I once got the belt at primary school, for talking when I should have been listening! ;-)
Yeah mind you some teachers got a bit of a buzz about the power of the belt and used it for simply things like talking in class - it should have been used for really much naughtier behaviour.
I always remember the best "lashers" used to aim slightly higher up the wrist - my goodness the sting of leather on wrist - yeee
Mind you i only got it twice in primary school and once at high school as i learned my lessons early.
Oh yes, too right! If the tail of the thing hit you on the wrist, it really hurt!! That was my one and only personal experience of the tawse, and yes, it got me on the wrist! :-0
I got lucky, the cane and slipper stopped the year I started senior school, I think that's when the problems started. Although for two years after the cane stopped we had a headmaster that wore a long dark black gown and he used to frighten me with the way he looked, that's what's disappered, there's no fear in the youngsters of today, crazy!
There's a lot of truth in that, darry! Most of the teachers at my school wore the long black gowns, and the headmaster always did...and, yes, they looked terrifying!
You hit the nail on the head Darry there is no fear of consequences to actions in the youth.
But they are not fearless most of them are cowards with absolutely no backbone unless they are in a group and even then they still have no b**** - believe me ive been in many confrontations with yoofs and they always back down.
Being Scottish and having been in the army I'm hard as nails and take no s*** from anyone. I'm not politically correct and think nothing of giving them a good slap so the kids round here actually come and talk to me rather than ignore me.We chat and get on fine and it was all after one incident outside a shop when a young girl was assaulted - A man that hits a womand aint no man and that particular little sod well lets just say it wasnt just his pencil that i broke in two. Volence against women I just dont tolerate. My dad is ex army Sergeant major in the APTC so he brought me up with Military discipline and a strict code of honour - I personally think conscription for at least 3 years would do the yoof of today a power of good!
The problem with folks today especially older ones is they act scared of the kids and always give em a hard time regardless of what they are doing.
When you walk up to a group of kids - never hang your head down or look away - thats a surefire way to get in trouble - Like animals in the forest they are looking for weakness. I guess its all about asserting dominance. Like all bullies if they know you hit back and hit back hard they wont bother you!
When I was at grammar school in London circa 1962, there was an incident of boys from the school stealing detonators from the guards vans of railway carriages ( those detonators that clipped onto rail lines in the event of a breakdown or accident ahead and warned drivers behind )and exploding them in the playground by dropping bricks on them. I think three boys were admitted as being involved and they were each caned in front of the whole school. At that time, that was accepted punishment and I believe that the police agreed not to get involved on the basis that corporal punishment would be applied, which seems an excellent trade off to me. Somehow, we were all in fear of the cane as an accepted discipline. Today of course that would be illegal. But as those options disappear and soften, do we have to accept an automatic increase in brutal and criminal behaviour?
Apart from falling standards there is the problem of a lot pressure being heaped upon children nowadays to become a real somebody with fame and fortune. There is less quality family time and the latest sought after excessive gadgets and games do NOT help at all most of the time.
Isn't it just a case of adolescence - and didn't you experience it when you were young? I'm not sure youngsters are much different now, in fact my experience is that they seem better educated about the reasons for aggression?
No, and no...I certainly didn't, and nor did the vast majority of youngsters in my day, we were brought up not to, and we would have been taken to task if we had. There's a huge difference between the sulky, surly moods of adolescence and what darry is talking about.
Japanese teens are bombarded with advertising, and are wallowing in advanced technology, social networks etc, yet the Japanese are the politest society in the world.
Yes, donk, I would say it was just before WW2 too. I think Graham Greene's novel 'Brighton Rock' is considered to be the first exploration of 'the troubled teenager' in its main character Pinkie, and that was published in 1938, with the film coming out in the late 40's. And even so, it was probably not until the 50's and possibly even into the 60's before teenagers really became teenagers as we would recognise them today.
I think older people are more critical about things than young people and that's because it makes them feel better.
No thats because they have the experience of years and young people dont im afraid!
Thats the truth really.
Young people do get a hard time from old folks sometimes maybe because they are jealous they dont have youth on their side anymore and pre-empt all young people as being "bad".
I try and walk the blade - just call me Blade-runner!
Hello mister omendata Older people are more set in their ways and are critical of young people who can do things in new and imaginative ways that deviate from what older people consider proper behavior. Young people and old people should do more things together so they can each appeciate each other.
I think you have a 'young person's view of older people', indogirl, but I do agree with you that when the young and the old mix they both gain something from it.
thank you miss fruitcake
I raised this issue because I was once young and not so long ago, and although I used to hang around the streets and do things I shouldn't my friends and I always had respect for others and our elders, that has been lost now with the minority of youngsters, not all there are some very good teenagers about, but those that have the lack of respect are far from the norm.
Hello mister darry yes some young people are very angry bitter and frustrated about themselves and when they are together with their friends they forget to respect other people, but I think when they are alone they are ok ?
When alone they are cowards - when in a group they are cowards in a group.
Stick em in the army; conscription is what this country needs and weed out the nutters/potential murderers and psychos and send em to Afghanistan.
Simple but not politically correct and probably contravenes 100 EU laws but it would work!
So no doubt will never get the go ahead!
I see where you're coming from, OD, and it's tempting to agree with you. But if you were serving in Afghanistan would you like to have to rely on a bunch of psychos to support you in battle?
True but we could just use them as cannon fodder - send em up first to checkout for mines and let our good boys wait for a while see if its safe!
lol
Seriously though the army would soon put the ne-er do weels in order - the psychos well thats another story - im sure they would be happy to go on a killing spree - as long as it were Taliban i would have no problem with that!
How about the "Dirtiest Dozen" - a special group of psycho killer soldiers.
I feel a movie or book deal coming the more i ramble on.
Hmmmm
I saw a group of youngsters last night come out of a pub at about 10:30pm, I was with my wife, my 2yr old and my father in law, mother in law and sister in law.
We watched a group of late teens early twentys arguing then all hell broke loose as a guy pushed over a girl and another girl kicked her on the ground four times, just like she was kicking a football. I wanted to go over and stop it but I know I would have ended up getting involved so I left it to run its course.
Pathetic, they lower the tone of a lovely town, I know the alcohol fulled it but still no need for it.
The level of violence particularly with even women is quite shocking.
They think nothing of stamping on heads or kicking in the face - the real low lifes choice of fighting.
And thats just the girls.
There was one in the papers a week ago stamped some other girls eye out with her stiletto.
Anyone who says our society isnt any worse than it was 50 years ago must have been living in a steel box 50 fathoms deep for all that time!
I agree, Omen, the level of violence that young women, in particular, are perpetrating is shocking! I was appalled at the recent stiletto incident and the one where two young women, aided and abetted by other young women, kicked a middle-aged man to death.
As for conscription for young people, a national service obligation of two years is still the norm in some countries, I'm all for it!
Oh, I always seem to put forward the 'wooly liberal' point of view but, believe me, that's not me at all - I'd hang 'em and flog 'em!
I never heard about the stiletto incident, but it dosen't surprise me.
The way some individuals are in unreal, had an incident at work this week, I wont go into it but some people just do not think about what they are saying and how it can effect others, amazing.
Hi Darry
I think that there are lots of reasons why there has been changes in teenage behaviour. Family structure has changed - most families do not spend quality time together - they don't eat meals together, discuss their days, talk over problems or issues - most eat in front of the TV and don't speak to each other from one day to the next. There is no support network for them when things go wrong. Sometimes there is a lack of discipline within the family
I also think that teenagers who display aggression within the education system are alot of the time sidelined. So they don't get the structure from that direction either.
I am a teacher who is teaching in one of the most challenging schools in London, and have previously taught in more challenging schools. It is my opinion that most teenagers are lovely human beings and that the horrible ones are in the minority. However, there are 3 major problems that I can see: any time I need to send a letter home about poor behaviour it is ALWAYS a single parent family, number 2 children are spoilt rotten these days with material objects - the latest smart phone or the latest games console, and thirdly through gang culture kids are forced to be indoors watching tv and playing computer games (being influenced by the media). When I was a teenager I was always out in the streets with friends and socialising. Yes I got into a few fights, but nothing involving knives and guuns like there is nowadays.
Hi Lana
I think that you must have an incredibly difficult job and admire you for doing it - it must be rewarding too!
Thank you all for your feed back and there is a variety of responses which all add reason to why some are like they are, I believe there is lots of pressure of youngsters to be somebody and I agree about spending quality time. My wife and I have set our lives around our daughter with my wife working part time, two days a week and I send all afternoon with my daughter as I work 6 til 2. However my brother and his partner both work full time and child is moved piller to post although just this evening they were talking about wanting to changed their situation but they cannot afford too, now there's a problem. Thanks again to you all and heres to a early merry christmas to you all.
Single parent families simple.
Kids need a father in the house for discipline.
That program on tv where they send kids abroad to live and learn with other families makes me ashamed to be British.
Our kids are so rude and 95% of the ones they sent were from single parent (1 mother no father) families!
All this gangster rap and idolizing violent thugs and gangs like America doesnt help - there are nice kids but they are in the minority.
Ever been on the bus and been offered a seat?
I think they're the same as they've ever been. Its just that as you get older, what they do becomes more alien and potentially threatening to you. Kids have always hung out on street corners or at bus stops and off licences. Its just that once you stop being a youngster, you start to notice their oddities more.
I think it depends on the upbringing. I have a 6 yr old little boy who is polite and has manners - he has been taught to have them and use them the same as i was when i was a kid. I still use them now.
I have a niece who can sometimes be a pain in the backside - she refuses to do as asked. I personally think her parents have let her get away with things for too long and now are unable to control her. She is 11 going on 21!
Being polite/curteous doesnt cost a thing. Shame more people can't be like that!
My brother got hit on the back with a rock thrown from a boy racers car last week - he even heard them slow down behind him but thought they might be slowing down to ask directions.
They werent laughing for long though as they did it before some traffic lights which went to red - my brother picked up the same rock, ran after them and just as the lights went green he bounced it neatly off their rear window smashing it into a nice mosaic of a thousand pieces.
Kids these days only respect violence and aggression - the greater the more effective i've found. I kick ass and chew bubble gum and i'm always out of gum!!!
>;o)
I would like to say the pen is mightier than the sword but have you ever tried to ask a group of "yoofs" politely ...anything!!!
Some kids were even dropping blocks of concrete off a local bridge onto the top of cars going under.
Kids these days are actually dangerous - not only do they have no respec' man but they seem to all think they are gangster rappers!
What is so gangster about shooting some innocent person from 100 metres away or stabbing a defenceless person is beyond me - in my day it was fisticuffs at the local bridge.
There is nothing brave about gang culture here or in the states - all little cowards who are oh so brave when they are in a group - ever notice how quiet they are when on their own!
Totally agree those who say its always the same as it ever was is living in some dreamworld all this gangster rubbish from America and the violence immigrants have brought here has changed the face of Britain forever.
Are we forgetting the Asian who kicked a young woman almost to death and he was supposedly a Karate follower when she asked him to put out his cigarette or the two young girls who were raped and stabbed to death by a gang of black youths or the young girl who was recently killed by another Iraqi failed asylum seeker banned driver or....
It goes on forever and i hate the do gooders and people who dont say it as it is for fear of being racist - look at the African continent - the bread basket of Europe Zimbabwe which was supposedly civilised, Sudan 50,000 women raped at a conservative estimate...Sorry but the Africans couldnt run a bath never mind a country it seems they are naturally violent people - Look at London and who could disagree but we arent allowed to say what we feel as its racist - we just need to say what we see but we have kept quiet too long and now its too late its gang culture just like America.
All my politically correct friends now agree after the last few years of wanton savagery and anyone who says any different must be living on a different planet!
You have said how you feel, the shameful part crazy is that not much can be done about the problems as it too late.
Absolutely Crazy one totally correct glad someone has the guts to say it as it really is.
People unfortunately dont like to thear the truth thats why we have governments to cover up the real facts and obfuscate the real truths to "protect" us all!!!
hahaha
I remember a few years ago I was with my Wife and Mother in a boat rowing down the thames, I saw these four young lads on the side with some big stones. i knew what was coming next, and it did and nearly hit my mum on the head.
I rowed the boat over to the side and ran after them, it was a good job when I reached them that I was knackered, I had a really good go at them, needless to say they all denied it and looked like they had the fear in them, hopefully it may have prevented them from doing it again.
I did up to no good when I was younger but not to that extent.
There is no doubt that standards of behaviour fall year by year and while violence and intimidation is on the increase, the ability of the law to deal with it seems to soften in response.
A few years ago I was walking my German Shepherd when two boys, aged about eight or so, were coming the other way with a large black dog that they were clearly not in control of. The dog was aggressive to passers by and I told one of them that they were not in proper control of the animal. At that point, one of them told me he was off home to 'get a f****** shotgun and blow my F****** head off'. Now correct me if I am wrong but aren't threats to kill a criminal offence from anyone? I followed them briefly when the father of one of them turned up and I addressed the threats with him. You will not be surprised to learn that he wasn't really interested.
Has immigration had an effect on young people's behaviour? Possibly. However, I am certainly not pro-immigration and feel that not only has our island become a target for those wanting to reach the land of milk & honey, but we are approaching saturation point to house, feed and pay for all these people. There is nothing racialist about my comment here and indeed I respect every culture and person within it. I am just miffed that our governments never address the very real concerns of the British people and how our treasured country is becoming unrecognisable. And why should we feel almost afraid to say how we feel here? Some feel that a 'rich multi-cultural' society is the way forward. I personally feel that it brings too many problems to make me feel good about it. During the 2010 World Cup, people in my office displayed the St George flag in support of England. But a comment was made from a member of staff ( who I understand was a serving magistrate ) that it was 'inappropriate' and they should be removed. Inappropriate to who for goodness sake? Needless to say, the flags remained. I was born just after the Second World War where everyone was so proud to be British, display the Union Jack with passion and work together to make the country great again. Does any of that seem relevant to today's society in this country. I think not. But as some people have already said on this thread, it is too late.
Unfortunately you are not wrong Snoop immigration has been the no.1 catalyst in my opinion - As an ex police officer i can speak from direct experience - some of the gangs from Albania, Algeria, Ukraine and eastern Europe not to forget Nigeria, Sudan, Turkey are quite the most evil people I have ever encountered - Torture and murder are their watchwords.
Working as a police officer is a terribly stressful experience - can you imagine having to see death every day , watch video and photos from Paedophile child killers - I have seen things i wish i had never seen as it affects the rest of your life! Hard to explain unless you have seen something so bad it infects your soul - I would give the Police especially SOCO a tenfold pay rise - Their hands are being tied by the politicians.
So many officers I know are frustrated because they cannot do their job particularly with this bending over backwards to appease the muslim fundamentalists - seems like all europe is running scared these days!
Never mind by 2100 we will be a muslim country and all wrongdoers will either be hung drawn and quartered or have their hands chopped off - And thats just for wearing a pair of Fluorescent Green (Lime) tights uncovered!!!
>;o)
PS. Ever tried to buy a Burkha on ebay - Its a nightmare - better to be prepared I say!
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Can I just say that being a teacher myself at a challenging school - behaviour is very good, as the teachers are excellent at handling such behaviour. Can I also state that teachers only see students for 5/6 hours a day 36 weeks of the year - what are the parents doing the rest of the time?
I agree with you, Lana, I don't believe teachers are to blame, I think they do an excellent job, considering the restrictions they're under regarding discipline.
Teachers do a very hard job.
Without the cane and the belt it must be hard especially for female teachers.
I remember when i was at school when a teacher showed a weakness of any kind in the area of discipline they were mercilessly taunted and insulted.
I remember with disgust one particular older gentleman Mr McBirnie a lovely and gentle man reduced to tears by the ruffians in the class - so sad but its the way of the jungle even more so now in Schools!
I wouldnt mind being a teacher - one things for sure no-one would dare to disrupt my classes.