AIBU for being mad at my little sister for telling three hoodies where she's from when they asked her "You from around here?"?

Fair enough. You might be right. Although I would prefer to use the term unaware rather than naive - please. I do watch and read the news.

It's more the posters who deny it happens at all and try to ridicule the OP when they are clearly clueless to what goes on. It's isnt always possible to avoid areas where gangs congregate. Normal decent people love in these areas too.
Gang activity isn't always in your face though. You probably have witnessed gang activity but were naive to what it was you were seeing.

Instead of being sniffy about people's naivety I think it is important to remember that an awful lot of people do know about what happens, but make a point of avoiding areas where gangs congregate.

I'm under no illusion that this happens, but while we do have people in our village who carry out illegal activities, I can honestly say that I have never seen any gang activity here. I tend not to go out in towns in the evening anyway, so that is why I don't witness groups of gangs.

Having lived in Leeds, the outskirts of Bradford and Sheffield, visited Newcastle and Liverpool many times to visit family (all on the list of the most crime riddled cities) I have not seen any gang activity there either, but I tend to stick to areas where gangs don't tend to congregate.

Why do you think that people who haven't witnessed gang activity are naive? I genuinely haven't seen any.

Also, if a gang member asks you where you live, unless they know where you do live how would they know you are lying?

Agree
There is a lot of naivety on here. It is just a shame that instead of educating themselves about what is going on around them that they choose to try and belittle and make fun of the OP.

I am aware, but I tend to avoid areas where gangs hang out. We have drug users and dealers in our village, but not gangs.

Strangely enough I am not alone in my views laughing emoji or otherwise, my points still stand. Many haven't a clue what's going on in other parts of the UK.

Having awareness isn't a bad thing.

Again, well said 👏 some on this forum absolutely do live in a safe bubble.

Well said @Growlybear83 👏👏👏

She could have said another road in nearby.

I live in a scuzzy area of one on the cities on the list up thread, never seen any of this. People in hoodies are generally just people with questionable fashion sense, nothing more sinister. I agree that answering with a vague area would be better then giving a street name, but think you're possiblely worrying unnecessary.

So you’d rather she lied and took a beating on your behalf? Because that’s how it reads.

I think you've been watching too much Topboy and the like. Trainers with bubbles in? Most sporty people wear these, hoodies the same and as for baseball caps, and I've not led a sheltered life, most of it in East London where gangs are rife.
Most of these are kids copying each other's fashions, real gang members would not be interested in someone like your sister.
The worst thing she did was post it onto the Internet.

Wrong.
ANY teenager or young person who strays into an estate or streets that are not their territory is at risk of being assaulted.
They could be 'going about their business', have absolutely no connection to gangs, but if they are in a street in a different territory they can be targeted.

Possibly a young person who was with adults, e.g. with family to visit relatives in another part of town, would be ignored. But if they were alone, or with another teenager, they would be at risk.

In my nephew's case, he explained that pretty much every child in their secondary school knew and recognised the graffiti markers, and knew where they could and could not safely walk. Even the nice kids from decent homes knew this.

This is an ordinary medium sized city (not a small town) in England.

I agree completely. I don’t think I’ve ever come across an internet forum with such a high proportion of people who live in the their own bubble and have no idea what life is really like for a large proportion of young people, particularly in inner cities. I’ve worked with schools in different parts of south London for many years, and young people who find themselves in the wrong area regularly get assaulted or worse by gangs if they come from the wrong post code. It sounds like the OP’s sister was lucky, but I think the people who are saying that the gang sounded as though they were being friendly really need to understand what real life is like for young people in many areas.

It sounds like a bunch of teens with nothing better to do. It doesn’t sound like they had any attention at all of harming OP’s sister.

I’m sure some areas have some anti social behaviour issues obviously, but I don’t think you can make such a wide sweeping judgement on tracksuits and decide they are dangerous either.

I hate tracksuits with a passion, but not everyone is a gangster that chooses to wear one.

Exactly it's not naive to say this really isn't the epidemic the OP is making it out to be.

It would also be correct to say for most people even in these big cities these gangs are not targeting those just going about their business unless they suspect those people of being in rival gangs.

To be fair, I don't come across these gangs either, and I have either lived in or visited a lot of the cities on the list I posted earlier.

So, your laughing emoji is rather ridiculous.

God, this site, honestly. The amount of people on here that think it came possible have happened because it doesnt happen in their little bit of the world. Why the sarky comments, putting OP and her sister down. Mocking her and minimising her actual lived reality. Some of you need a reality check about what's going on in this country.

There are a lot of very, very naïve posters on here, probably middle-class, who have absolutely no idea about the youth culture in some of the UK's big cities.

When my nephew was about 14-15, we were shocked to learn from him that the city we live in was divided into 'territories', marked by graffiti signs. Teenagers and young adults who had any clue did NOT stray into areas that were not their own, they only stuck to the streets or estate around their house, or the shopping high streets and city centre.
Large areas of the city are completely off-limits to teenagers and young adults, with a real risk of violence if they 'trespass'.

Just sounded like they were being friendly.

All the young males around here dress that way. Not sure if they all squint though.

It's definitely not too warm for tracksuits 🤔 I've had jeans and a thick jumper on the past 2 days and the DC are wearing their warmer coats to school.

You’re being very naive. This sort of thing happens all the time in some areas.

The OP is not just telling us about the clothing. She has put it all in context...the clothing, language used, body language etc.

Come on, it isn't that difficult to read between the lines here.

@rainbowunicorn I am agreeing with you, but responding to the poster you replied to.