Huge increase in large groups of teenagers terrorising the public

[Shopaholic100]

Has anyone else noticed a huge increase in large groups of teenagers terrorising the public? I was in York today and there were huge groups of teenage boys causing havoc, screaming, swearing, shouting and pulling peoples hats off and throwing them on the floor as they walked past. At the same time another huge group of girls were also screaming and kicking full cans of fizzy drinks around so it was squirting everywhere. Milton Keynes a few weeks ago was the same with large groups running round John Lewis causing havoc whilst security were trying to get them to leave. In another part of the shopping centre another group were causing trouble too. I’ve seen the same in London too. I used to see small groups sometimes do silly things, but the size of the groups is much larger and threatening and they seem fearless. Anyone else noticed this?

I was reading the protest thread yesterday and felt exactly the same as a teacher. Absolutely aghast at the cheerleading from parents about the students right to protest. So many parents seem to unwittingly enable terrible behaviour by having no boundaries at home. When they come up against very reasonable boundaries at school (you can’t wander to the toilet whenever you want for a skive/you need to follow a uniform policy) they think a fundamental right has been taken away.

I live in a small town that’s meant to be nice and it’s quite prevalent and increasingly so. Given how young some of the kids I see out are it’s parents not giving a shit rather than gentle parenting…

I think some contributing factors are there are literally no activities for young people where I live. If they want to do scouts/guides it’s a drive or a train to the next town, no youth clubs, only one football club that’s hopelessly over subscribed, the cricket club doesn’t take under 16s anymore, the local running/athletics club doesn’t have enough volunteers anymore so just takes adults.
The local school isn’t great either so I suspect there is a lack of ambition with a lot of the kids too, no “I can’t go to uni if I get a criminal record at 15”

Yes this is true. I follow a lower league team and for decades the core support has been getting older, worryingly so for the survival of these clubs. Since Covid though, there are many more young people attending and the majority are fine (I chatted to one last week who was wearing his grandfather's "antique" scarf only to discover its not as old as the one I wear, which Father Christmas brought me 😆). There are some though who seem to have returned to the bad old days when an away day was all about the fighting 😥

I suspect it does start with the parenting though. A parent turned on me yesterday because I politely asked his son to stop kicking my chair. I was amazed that anyone would be upset by what I thought was a perfectly normal and friendly interaction. What could I have actually "done" if neither the boy nor parent would make it stop? If the parent had formally complained about me, who would have be supported in a world where it's all about safeguarding the rights of the child?

Wouldn't be Llandudno would it. All over a Facebook page a video was taken of these ferals. The mothers have waded in and granny accusing the videomaker of being a peadophile. It's extraordinary that someone filming in McDonald's a public place can be accused of this by families of feral kids.

There's no hope if the families defend their kids like this. Especially as some said one of these kids has been up in court a few times for vandalism and arson

As a kid (90s), schools used to meet en masse to fight another school, I actually think most teenagers today are more civilised. They’re all indoors on screens, or working hard to try and get qualifications do they can get even a basic job on leaving.

Teenagers today are less likely to drink, take drugs, more likely to have higher grades and go to the gym than my generation (born in 80s).

social media makes this seem worse I haven’t seen anything like this near me.

This is true too. At my school in the 80s, the shout of "bundle" would often go up and everyone would run to join the action - usually left to it by staff too

One of the reasons my daughter quit McDonald's was because they were constantly having to call the police because of gangs. You don't need that at 17 for a weekend job.

Mostly around here I feel it's those slightly older, mid 20s, and particularly drug users that are hanging around and being a nuisance, causing damage and intimidating people. This is constant and everywhere. The younger youths seem localised and largely misunderstood because of a few rouge ones.

Not seen it in my local area but as a teacher in the midst of a riot, in which I had to lock my class in the room on Friday, I can very well believe it.

That came to mind when I was reading about the schools protests on Friday. It's rather the same concept as the Russians using social media to manipulate our elections etc in order to harm the country. It sounds batshit crazy until you realise how easy it would be to do with state resources to throw at it.

The result of no parenting and allowing your little darlings to do as they please. No consequences, no punishments. So…. here we are.

@Babyleafy
Ha ha ha I'd completely forgotten about the "bundle" rallying cry

London suburbs, was on top deck of packed bus. 16 year old traveller boy sat behind me. The man he was sitting next to accidentally brushed his leg or something and he threatened to beat him up. He then proceeded to call some of his pals and the language he was using was vile.

Anyway a girl on the bus seemed to have been impressed by this show of 'manliness' and engaged him in convo.

He was telling the girl that he was untouchable because the police couldn't recognize him. He threatened at one point to open a bus window and pee out of it onto passers by below.

When he got off the bus I saw why- he was wearing a balaclava and a hoodie so just his eyes were visible.

I think balaclavas should be illegal.

I've not seen this at all.

I'm waiting for someone to come on with the 'because covid generation' excuse.

I grew up in the 80s in a village. We were bored much of the time. We had no youth club and no money to get the bus into town most weekend. We did not riot or make other people's lives a misery. We went for walks and met up in each others houses. We didn't indulge in criminal behaviour because we were good kids who were well brought up and knew our parents would not tolerate it. I also benefited from the input of supportive grandparents.

I have seen so many posts on MN lately complaining at how hard done by their kids are. The college is threatening to kick them out because they have not attended lectures, my kids school expects them to wear the correct uniform - how bloody unreasonable. No wonder kids have no respect for rules, or even the basics of acceptable social behaviour, when their parents make it their mission to kick back every time their child is expected to face the consequences for their poor choices and, at times, criminal behaviour.

I am so gald to be out of teaching. It must have been terrifying to have been caught up in those 'protests' last week.

There's been a big spate of (presumably) kids chucking rocks and bricks through the windows of public transport here. Several times the bus services in the evenings have had to be suspended and yesterday the train I caught home from shopping had a rock thrown at it and the windscreen smashed causing chaos on the service- not to mention the danger to the driver and passengers this risks. Dick heads!

You are not the only person to say this about TikTok and Chinese ownership. Over the last few months, about five residents with children have said this to me (I'm a local councillor).

One said "this is their revenge for the opium war."

Yep. 'K' bus station. Culminating in a stabbing I believe?

And now the local Nextdoor pages are blaming the free bus passes.

Honestly, the comments under the Daily Record stories were incredible. No sense of irony in saying they would go down there and beat the kids black and blue.

Why? What does Tiktok show or do?

Sorry, I don't use it.

Very northern town and thankfully they aren't destructive but can be rather annoying. Big groups are normal but they seem to limit it to chucking food, pop etc at each other. We've had some tagging which is shame as they aren't very good at art!

DS is younger but I do think the current teens have struggled because of lock down and need some slack. I kind of have the attitude as long as they aren't breaking things, them thinking they are funny running through town like banshees isn't the end of the world. They will grow out of it or get better at the TikTok's they are trying to send viral.

Annoyingly the local arcade come bowling ally that would have been ideal to occupy them has gone 18+ on an evening 🤬

I saw a teacher on twitter suggesting that the parents who are so outraged could act as volunteer uniform and toilet supervisors .Thought you'd appreciate that one :)

We saw this in the week in lovely leafy Shrewsbury, around 20-30 teens harassing a JW, pretty much forcing him down the high street and chucking water bottles at him. DD (17) was horrified, and I was pissed at the lack of action by the ‘Rangers’ who stood by watching it happen. Thankfully the police were called, and it seemed to break up before the chap got hurt.

Yes, this is the case in Edinburgh.

It's widespread in Edinburgh.

Is there anything this government haven't lost control over?

We need broken windows theory policing now.

I used to hang out in the local park drinking at the wekend with mates - I never caused any trouble myself but some of them, particularly the boys, used to break in to buildijg sites and cause chaos and terrorise locals. This wasn't in Tory days. Think a bit more deeply than "I hate the tories so I'll blame them for everything".