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Original poster

What can I do about kids anti social behaviour?

21 replies

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 09:42

For unknown reasons over the last week my house seems to have become a target for some low level anti social behaviour. Nothing major rapping the door, throwing sweets at the window juice cartons into the garden & fwiw the ones doing it are only about 10. Is there anything I can do about it short of putting my foot up their backside? I really don't want to be 'that person'

OP posts:

JellyTots2009 · 03/03/2021 10:04

We had this many years back.

We had the throwing of apples (from opposite neighbours tree in front garden) at the windows,
Eggs also. The door knocking. My bins thrown over with stuff everywhere (that happened about 2-3 times during the whole time). My partner was getting out the car and from the corner of the street they started throwing things and caught him on the back of the leg.

We got so fed up that one time when they threw stuff at the window my partner ran outside, jumped in his car and chased the teens. Grabbed one by the hoodie and said give me the name of your mate now and he did.

We went to the police told them absolutely everything. We took pictures whenever we heard them coming by cos 7/10 they threw stuff. The gang was usually about 5-7 young teens. The police came round every few months to check with us what was happening , we also found out they were targeting other houses too.

In the end they got the names of all the kids and that had to sign a behaviour contract and if they breached it they were going to be hauled back to the police station. Parents would probably be fined. The kids also saw us installing cameras and from them on we've had not one knock or throw at all.

I think it was the mixture of both the behaviour contract and seeing the cameras fitted.

Police said we could get a sticker big enough for the window saying 'you're on camera' or fix some dummy ones. It might deter them.

Easterbunnygettingready · 03/03/2021 10:09

Our neighbourhood little twat took to goading my ddog through the gate and throwing sweets over for her...
I hid in the shed with the hose ready and started cleaning the yard bit.. Shame he got wet standing there... His df came along - he was a security guard but once told my dc he was a policeman and he would arrest them if they didn't play with his ds-I said I was maintaining my property and his dc shouldn't have been spying in... Kept away after that.. Great day when we moved tbh...

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 10:51

That sounds horrendous JellyTots do you know why it started?
I am toying with the idea of getting a camera but I hate the idea that’s what I’m turning into iyswim and I’m reluctant to phone the police as I feel like I’m time wasting.
The whole thing is giving me huge anxiety

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Families

ThePlantsitter · 03/03/2021 10:57

Do you ever get the opportunity to open the door and yell at them (I ean do you see them do it)? If so do that. And say you have a doorbell camera and you know their parents even if you don't.

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 11:16

Yes I caught them rapping the door yesterday & I told them when I found out where they live I'm going to their parents but when I went out this morning there was all sweets in the front so they must have been throwing them in the dark

OP posts:

HeartOfInk · 03/03/2021 11:20

I stood at my window with a camera and told them to say cheese. They never came back!
Although there were some gits who I think were videoing my DC (has SN) who was trying to learn how to skateboard yesterday. Don’t know what to do about that.

ThePlantsitter · 03/03/2021 11:24

Right well if they do it again take a picture like heartofink says and say in a very frightening - preferably not shouty - tone 'The very next time you do that I will call the police'. And if they do it again you can tell the police. Not on 999 obvs but you will have a community police officer I'm sure. It's not being that person it's just getting them to bugger off! Consider it all part of the tapestry of being a kid for them!

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 11:42

I never thought of that Plantsitter but I’m sure there must be a community police officer so that’s a good idea.
I have to catch them in the act again though

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murbblurb · 03/03/2021 11:44

only a playground mentality of 'don't sneak' would see any reason not to report these malicious little shits. With luck their parents will be horrified and do something. Of course their parents may have trained them to be little shits, in which case it certainly won't get better without police involvment.

nothing to lose. You could of course be outside with the pressure washer next time they call and...oops...

ThePlantsitter · 03/03/2021 11:57

Well I dunno about malicious little shits, but certainly it's perfectly reasonable not to want kids throwing sweets at your window etc and perfectly reasonable to stop them doing it. It takes a village and all that.

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 12:21

Yes I've already told them when I find out where they live I'm going to their parents. I just hate sitting here waiting for something to happen

OP posts:

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 16:24

Have just seen one of them & now my anxiety is up

OP posts:

heart80s · 03/03/2021 16:29

I had this a couple of years ago and I opened the day when about to knock one time, I asked aren't you bored yet I use to play knock a door run when I was younger can't be that cool to do as I'm old. Well something a long them lines lol, they stopped doing it. I speak to them when I see them now. Once they don't get a reaction they seem to move on.

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 03/03/2021 16:55

Second the community beat officer. Maybe when the kids officially go back to school, things will improve a bit?

TaraR2020 · 03/03/2021 16:58

Be that person.

Maybe get an automatic/remote sprinkler too.

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 20:36

Thanks everyone -have decided fuck it I am going to be that person!

OP posts:

chocolateorangeterry · 03/03/2021 21:28

We had this a few years back, they were also only young - year 6/7/8! - but escalated to them kicking our front door open. It was awful, lasted for 6 months+ and made me miserable - I felt like an absolute idiot feeling attacked by these young kids but they really did make it hell for us!

It only stopped after a group of them surrounded the house and tried to kick the front door open and I called 999 (I know I should have phoned 101 but it was fight or flight reaction). Kids fled, police came and took statements and because some of the kids were wearing school uniforms we phoned both the schools and complained. We never had a problem with them again after that.

I also found, in my personal experience, opening the door to them only riles them up more. They're doing it to get a reaction and I found if we didn't open the door/respond it would end quicker than if we did. Obviously in the long run we had to get police involved but for us it helped.

Hope it gets better for you OP!

Original poster

SoLongFurlough · 03/03/2021 23:24

Gravel thrown at the window so I found out where they live & went to their parents.
We'll see if it stops now

OP posts:

TaraR2020 · 03/03/2021 23:35

What did their parents say?

JellyTots2009 · 04/03/2021 00:55

No idea why it started.
First thing that happened was my recycling bin pulled over my front garden. I was actually right behind my front door talking to my friend who was sat in my living room so I flung the door open the second they did it and had a go at them. They ran.
It was over the next few months it escalated.
I rang 101 and they said someone would come round. It was a PCSO. He was so good and kept In touch regularly about updates and if we had any more trouble.
He was the one who got all the kids info and got them to sign the contracts.
If it's giving you anxiety please do something about it.
I felt exactly the same.
My boy was still very young and our sofa was under our window I was petrified they were going to throw something harder and smash the window all over us.
I told the police all my worries and they seemed to take me seriously .

standingonaseesaw · 04/03/2021 10:16

I also had this, lots of low-level anti social behaviour. I tried speaking to the kids, speaking to the parents, shouting at the kids and parents, and the behaviour just got worse with everything I did. I ended up calling the police, a few times over a couple of years. It took a lot of visits before it finally stopped, and my nerves were absolutely shot by that point. The parents couldn’t have cared less, all the other neighbours turned on us, but after we moved, I heard from other people that their behaviour had ramped up again. Unfortunately all the neighbours who turned on us had basically condoned their behaviour by making out they were just kids being kids. It’s such a horrible situation to be in, and I just hope these children have better parents than the ones we were dealing with did!

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