Another teenager dead right now - how do we get a grip on gangs?

[NorthNineteen]

Name changed. A teenager was killed (shooting) close to where I live. It happened about an hour ago, there are loads of police, an air ambulance came. It's so awful, I don't know many details but what can be done to protect children? Clearly the current system is broken. It's so heartbreaking to think someone has lost their child today.

'Gang culture needs addressing.There needs to be more policing and more community leaders actually mentoring and being role models.'

This I agree with. There is a huge lack of investment in our inner city's youth. But you can't compare it to the 60s - what relevance does an era that was 60 years' ago have to today's youth? And you're wrong anyway - there were gangs in the 50s and 60s. Haven't you read Brighton Rock?

'Of course they did. Ever heard of the Krays?'

Organised crime existed then as it does now.

Gangs of youths stabbing each other every day did not.

It comes down to parenting imo. Youth clubs wouldn’t make a jot of difference. Kds need strong role models in their lives.

Completely agree.

I think if the middle classes who think nothing of a line or two on a night out, would all stop their somethings for the weekend, that would help. I know so many who think this is nothing to do with them, who have no idea how much it really has.

Oh stop blaming poverty. There was real actual poverty in the 60s and I don't think gangs roamed about stabbing people.

There wasn’t the same blatant inequality though. My dad was dirt poor growing up in the 60s but so was everyone else he knew.

'But you can't compare it to the 60s - what relevance does an era'

Because people are blaming gang culture on poverty. There was far more poverty in the 60s, many people lived in squalor.

So yes we have to accept there is a massive problem nowadays with daily tragic stabbings but you can't lay all the blame with the government or 'poverty'.

More police is needed, but more community and family responsibility too.

I also agree with decriminalisation of drugs.

I grew up in London and was lucky enough to move... but it breaks me to think that teens can't just be... without having to prove themselves

County lines
Poverty
Estates
Social media
The list is endless

But after 10 years of Tory cuts there's no where for these kids to reach out anymore

More police is needed, but more community and family responsibility too.

Didn’t you hear? There’s no such thing as society any more.

Give young people some hope of a decent life, a place to live and a good job would be a start.
Gang life appeals on the promise of easy money.
What if you could make good money from legal things (and didn't have to have gone to Eton)?

Most people with good jobs haven't been to Eton. School, which is compulary, offers a way out for everybody but some people are too busy trying to be 'bad men' and education doesn't fit the image they want.

There'd be less of a problem if drugs were legalised/regulated.

It's shocking. Anyone who says they know the answer is lying though, imo. It's a huge and complex problem.

But after 10 years of Tory cuts there's no where for these kids to reach out anymore

They could try taking advantage of the free education they're given?

@SandysMam

I think if the middle classes who think nothing of a line or two on a night out, would all stop their somethings for the weekend, that would help. I know so many who think this is nothing to do with them, who have no idea how much it really has.

🙌🙌🙌

Years of austerity means resources to support drug/alcohol addicted parents are rare. (I’m being generous there)
Early years interventions and supports slashed, yes austerity again.
We have huge problems in this country with substance abuse. Stoned parents aren’t physically or emotionally available.
It’s early years we need to invest in. Plus m.h, substance misuse

@Cam2020

*Give young people some hope of a decent life, a place to live and a good job would be a start. Gang life appeals on the promise of easy money. What if you could make good money from legal things (and didn't have to have gone to Eton)?*

Most people with good jobs haven't been to Eton. School, which is compulary, offers a way out for everybody but some people are too busy trying to be 'bad men' and education doesn't fit the image they want.

Not the popular answer but the truth, having went to secondary in south london

Even if you're not rich and smart there are options. Most made decent choices.

@DavidTheDog

I also agree with decriminalisation of drugs.

If drugs were decriminalised would they be available in shops to buy or would users have to be registered as drug users?

They could try taking advantage of the free education they're given?

Education maintains the current status quo in terms of inequality. Schools in deprived areas cannot offer nearly the opportunities that those in more affluent areas.

Education could play a big part in addressing the lack of life opportunities for those from deprived backgrounds, but that won't happen without a great deal more funding, targeted at those that need it.

'There wasn’t the same blatant inequality though. My dad was dirt poor growing up in the 60s but so was everyone else he knew.'

Bollocks. There was an even greater class divide. Some people think they're all so hard done to nowadays beause they can't afford 200quid trainers. People don't live in rat and damp infested slums anymore.

Free education is widely available. So much enabling goes on as demonstrated on this thread.

It no longer starts at teens, it starts in primary for a large number of reasons including fear. Kids as young as 6/7 recruited to run county lines to feed the need to buy drugs. As they get older there is an expectation to prove themselves so you get drill music videos and incursions onto rival territory to attack an opposition gang member. From there the reprisals start and the escalation continues. With lockdown over things will return to normal with more attacks/ killings. No one thing is going to stop this it will take a collection of events.
As someone else said legalised drugs or casual users stopping is one of those. Cut the money and you remove one of the appeals of gang life but it’s not the only one.

A lot of the reasons for more gangs and knife crimes can be attributed to the breakdown of the family and divorce being more socially acceptable. Fatherless children gravitate towards gangs for 'direction' - even if it's the wrong sort. See 6 in the paper below.

How can we encourage more fathers to be involved with their sons to prevent this ?

www.mnpsych.org/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_dailyplanetblog%26view%3Dentry%26category%3Dindustry%2520news%26id%3D54

I think “gang life” - guns, killing people, violence - is glamourised too much in society via films, music etc. Every teenager is a wannabe gangster these days 🙄

The difference is gangs in the 60s used to punch and kick each other, maybe hit with a weapon. Now the first option for young people is a knife or a gun. Unless you are unlucky one punch or kick is unlikely to kill someone, with a knife or a gun it only takes 1 go to kill someone and its very easy to kill someone you might just have wanted to wound/frighten.

@ItsReallyOnlyMe

A lot of the reasons for more gangs and knife crimes can be attributed to the breakdown of the family and divorce being more socially acceptable. Fatherless children gravitate towards gangs for 'direction' - even if it's the wrong sort. See 6 in the paper below.

How can we encourage more fathers to be involved with their sons to prevent this ?

www.mnpsych.org/index.php%3Foption%3Dcom_dailyplanetblog%26view%3Dentry%26category%3Dindustry%2520news%26id%3D54

Oh if only women would stay in shitty marriages, then no teenagers would join gangs!

@JaniieJones

'Make actual steps to end poverty'

Oh stop blaming poverty. There was real actual poverty in the 60s and I don't think gangs roamed about stabbing people.

Gang culture needs addressing.There needs to be more policing and more community leaders actually mentoring and being role models.

What a lot of rot. Of course there were gangs in the 60s - ever heard of the Krays? Glasgow had gangs in the 60s So did most major cities. The tragedy is that things haven't improved much, not that the 60s was some beacon of morality and poverty.