If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Read the community guidelines before posting ✨
Options
UK too liberal
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm not an extreme authoritarian by nature but Labour's various policies have ignored the real problems of every day life that we as citizens of the UK have to face daily. Things like street crime and immigration have become a massive problem in recent years. I'm in my last year of school, finishing my A-levels, so I know the situation 'on the ground' in detail. I used to hear stories of kids getting mugged and beaten up on the streets by kids from other schools on the way to the train station every day. This didn't only happen in our area but all over London. The point is that a certain aggressive disrispectful youth culture has emerged over the past five or so years, resulting in many teenagers having no sense of social responsibilty whatsoever. I know that older generations may say that this occurs generation after generation but certainly not to the extent of what the situation is know. The increasing liberalisation of this country has allowed such things to happen: children are becoming aware of sex and social standing at a ridiculous age, far younger than when I was at the tender age of 9 or 10 even (8 years ago). People say that it's only natural for children to learn about these things at an earlier age. This may be true but the way that they're learning it is the problem. Instead of being taught by adults with a certain sense of restriction, they are watching porn and then talking about it to their friends at school. At the age of 9 or 10!! If children are becoming more socially responsible at an earlier age then government policy should reflect this or stop it. Punishments for child offenders should be far more severe than they are currently or censorship should be increased. Labour have to get the message out to young offenders; partakers in street crime or drug abuse, that such activities will not be tolerated. Children are becoming more demanding at an earlier age, choosing their own clothes, haircuts, loosing any sense of social responsibilty and inventing their own slang. These things are all increasing youth crime and leading to a worse society. To make the streets safer and give the citizens of this country peace of mind, I think that Labour (or which ever government is in power) should promote a stricter, more disciplined culture to children and parents of children.
0
Comments
however, whilst agreeing with you that there is a massive problem, i don't agree that the way to solve it is to crack down on youth. why is there such a problem with disrespect for authority? why do these kids not have any sense of social responsibilty? i believe that it would be more productive to tackle these problems than to potentially alienate young offenders even more from society.
Children are growing up very quick, they are told things at an earlier day. Parents are a lot more open minded and would rather discuss things with their children rather than let them learn stuff in the playground.
You say children are becoming a lot more aware of sex at 8/9 well maybe they are but in all honesty they probably only know the 'sex' word but not actually know what it means. I have an 8 yr old and she asks questions, I am not going to lie to her or fob her off, she will get the answers she is asking which is better than being told a pack of lies from the older kids in the playground.
I think that parents who allow thier children to roam late on an evening should be warned that they are not going to get away with letting their kids out on the street late on a night. Its not the kids fault that they have irresponsible parents so the onus should be on the parent not the kid. I think if they cracked down more on the parents of unruly kids then it could solve the problem.
My original point was however to highlight the problem of crime.
Whilst it is true that adults cause alot of crime, youth offenders have to be disciplined aswell as if they are criminals now, it is highly likely that they will still be criminals, and far worse criminals, in the future if nothing is done about them. I am putting an emphasis on youth crime but I'm concerned about crime in general in this country. Labour have to prioritise whats directly effecting the citizens of the UK before thinking about anything like the Euro and the war in Iraq. I know who I'm voting for next election thats for sure (clue: Not Tony Blair).
"Clamping down" on crime DOES NOT WORK. Its a wonderful soundbite for newspaper editors to shout out from the headlines, but the best deterrence from underage sex and drug abuse is AMBITION. If you have ambition, something to work for in life, then you are less likely to throw away your life with three kids by the time youre 19, or by snorting coke or shooting up brown.
The trouble is not the youth, it is the problems endemic in certain sectors of society. The problems on sink-estates have been around since the late 18th century, rather than shoving them all in jail maybe its about time the Government put its money where its mouth is and started doing something about the lack of education, ambition and wealth in the lowest 20% of society. Sure Start is a wonderful concept, but there is little proof of it actually getting the funding it needs for it to work effectively.
But its a start, and if Labour can get Sure Start and the New Deal to work properly then there will be a drastic improvement in youth-comitted crime and other social ills. Of that I am sure.
But both stick and carrot conceptions are about ruling slaves. Free men rule themselves and don’t need both. “God save us from lords’ anger and lords’ love”. But where they are those free men? They gone…All their civilisation gone. We have democracy instead that rules us, educates us, cures us, feeds us, brainwashes us, protects us from ourselves, wipes our snotty noses and keeps us happy in this disgusting mixture of kindergarten and concentration camp named welfare state.
Where the hell responsibility comes from?
But I do agree with Kermit, you need a carrot as well as a stick. We need more apprenticeships to give children a chance in life, but we also need parents, teachers and policemen who will tell kids off when they do wrong.
Above all, we need to teach kids morals and good manners. Getting more people to go to church might help.
I agree with all you said apart from this. Why will church help ? Its the parents/teachers who should be teaching morals and good manners. Going to church most kids hate because they are bored sackless.
How quaint.
I actually thought you were being sarcastic here. I really wish you were.
Basically, what Kermit and Becky have said, I agree with - you need to get to the root of the problem - the rowdy kids are the symptom, not the cause. You can't overemphasise the need for good parenting, but then you can't tell people how to raise their kids.
We need to educate.
We need to stop portraying 'celebrity' as the be all and end all.
Mind you - I was talking to my Mum and her boyfriend about how things were in the 50's and 60's and they feel that it was just as violent, if not more so when they were younger (But then they did both grow up in Birmingham
Personally walking through the City Centre on a weekend, I always think how much quieter it is than it was in the 1980s when I was in my teens. A mate who was young in the 70s has told me stories of mobs of teenage hoolies 4-500 strong causing havoc all over the country every weekend over football.
Fantastic idea, but where to start?
Depends on which church you go to. If they have a Sunday school or other kids activities, it needn't be boring. And I said church would help. I still believe that parents and teachers should be responsible for kids behaviour, but any extra moral guidance be it from church, scouts, cadets or whatever should be encouraged.
Personally I think that children need to be taught empathy and the consequences of their actions. I'd go as far as to say that a change in the curriculum, only a small change however is needed. For example, no RE lessons because in my school at least it was biased towards Christianity. Instead, at the age of eleven children can choose between social issues and world culture.
Social issues would cover issues in the world today both environmental, human rights, things that appear in the news and the rights that the children are entitled to. They won't be told, 'do this'... 'don't do that', but more 'this is what happens if you{enter action here]' type thing. For example, they could be told about the effects of drugs and taken to a rehab, or given talks by ex-addicts.
World culture would be rather like RE, but would focus very much on religion and identity and include subcultures, sexuality and even alternative spiritaulity. It would hopefully cover as much as possible.
These two lessons, whichever chosen would serve a more instrumental purpose. I believe that if children are taught empathy as well as law then maybe we'll see in improvement in crime rates.
Just an idea...
Why not? You sound like abit of a liberal panzy to me. This government's pathetic liberal policies are leading this country to ruin. It's not a case of the govnt telling every parent in the country exact details of how to raise their children, but it has to encourage a tougher culture in the homes of this country. When Labour try to solve problems with youth offenders, they completely neglect warning parents of the fact that their own children have the potential to cause social havoc unless they are taught otherwise.
On other issues, immigration and crime have to be considered. People who say to me that immigrants of various nationalities enrich and make England's culture better are idiots because these immigrants are not enriching British culture but ERASING it. I have nothing against allowing immigrants to enter the UK to make a legitimate living for themselves but the flow has to be controlled and monitored vigarously and not in the pathetic manner that Labour are doing now. When I hear about the police making a £2bn drugs bust organised by asylum seekers (a recent occurance), I am enraged. Catching British drug dealers is a problem, and one that is made no easier by the increasing number of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers involving themselves in the drugs industry.
I think the problem is children aren't learning the values of discipline or respect from an early age because the govt is cracking down on "bad parents" and making it illegal to prperly discipline a child.
You can't teach a child right from wrong by rewarding it if it does something bad.
Is it just me or did anybody else have a sense of deja vu reading that?
Also school results are improving and although we can have the debate about GCSE's meaning anything anymore that has to be a good thing.
I really dont see the 'we're all going to hell in a hand basket' idea, what proof do you have of that.
Yes there are problems with the UK, but 'clamping down' whatever that means isnt going to help and as for trying to get more people to go to Church?! I would certainly hate to live in a society where I was not allowed to not attend church or be part of a relgion.
And excuse me for asking but when was this drug bust, I've not heard of it. Could you give me a link please.