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.

@Ozanj

But we already have that with child maintenance

'Stop glamourising the drug, knife, designer clothes culture in music videos and lyrics.'

Yes that would be a start.

A lot of it money motivated too a lot of boys I knew would see their parents struggling breaking their backs for minimum wage or not enough money, and know they could go out and earn three times that in a day just by selling "rocks". It's sad there's so many layers to it it isn't just one straight answer.
My best friend when i was younger got 33 years in jail with no chance of parole until he's served a minimum of 33 years. All of this is very close to my heart. He was 20 something when he got that sentence it's been nearly 10 years now.

Stop buying drugs and saying they’re harmless.

Thought that didn’t appeal - but it’s the only thing everyone can do that works.

There’s a really intriguing approach being used in Scotland where it’s being treated as a public health issue rather than a crime issue. Seems to be really successful.

There’s so many facets to it and so much to address, but as a start I think doing two things would help enormously:

1. The media/BBC/fashion/music industries need to take responsibility and stop promoting drill/grime/(some) rap music - just stop playing it all together and glamourising the lifestyle, get the whole culture out of the mainstream media - the lyrics are violent and misogynistic and the sound of it - well, imagine having that as the soundtrack to your life, no wonder the world seems a hopeless and threatening place to these kids.

1. Make taking drugs socially unacceptable to the middle classes and professionals. A huge chunk of the market for drugs would just disappear.

Used to work with young people impacted by gangs, it's a pretty complex problem but getting rid of the Tories is a good place to start

They need help getting out is the problem. Some shoes, booze, weed and parties, then you owe them, then you do a few jobs and that's it. You're in the gang and there's no getting out. Not when you're scared, you've seen violence, you've seen rape. You're scared for your family or to lose face.

How can they get out is a big issue. How can you refuse to stab someone when you fear you'll be killed yourself,

@Supersimkin2

Stop buying drugs and saying they’re harmless.

Thought that didn’t appeal - but it’s the only thing everyone can do that works.

Yes. The addicts are not the problem' they are so small in number. The recreational users are the problem.

Oh stop blaming poverty

But it’s a pretty predominant trait
Isn’t it ? Wealthy or more typically ‘middle class’ kids don’t tend to get into this

So yes it’s a complex cocktail
But poverty is involved
As is race to a certain degree

Why are black children drawn into gangs more so than white children.

My heart goes out to the families involved.
Thank you to the insightful posters on this thread about causes and remedies. Our central governments need to invest in support for children and young people urgently. Budgets to local government and charities have been slashed and were never high enough anyway.
Please write to your MP. Wherever you live and even if you don’t think it’s got anything to do with your own local area or social circle. It’s probably there, even if you are lucky enough not to see it personally.
We need to pressure MPs to believe that Every Child Matters and that they must demand that the government act and invest accordingly. It’s heartbreaking that this is just a hollow slogan at the moment.

it's a pretty complex problem but getting rid of the Tories is a good place to start

God, yes.

A holistic, compassionate, committed response to gang crime is needed. With a Tory government?

@Christmasfairy2020

Why are black children drawn into gangs more so than white children.

There are some stats here about racial equality in the UK: bylinetimes.com/2020/06/08/black-lives-dont-matter-in-britain

On the other end of the scale, it's quite possible that black children just get stopped and caught more than the white gang members.

@dorangme

And yet plenty of posters on MN think there is nothing wrong with taking drugs.

Millions of people still drank alcohol during prohibition. It doesn't work and never will.

@goldieloxx I could not agree more.

The easiest way to get a grip on gangs would be to hold boys to the same standard as girls. Girls have a lot more pressure put on them than boys, are abused more, are sexualised, mocked and disrespected more, but they don't go round stabbing each other. Stop excusing boys terrible behaviour, give them punishments, and don't let them run wild. If you can control your daughters, there is no excuse to not be able to control your sons.

I agree with whoever said that treating it as a public health problem is an approach more likely to succeed
A more holistic approach

But the brutal facts are for a 13 year (who let’s face it are short on sense !) an 18 year old gang leader is always going to appeal and look more enticing

And in any city 13 square miles
Of social housing , is just that
They have eyes
They know the differences

I’m not saying it can’t be fixed

A 16 year old boy was murdered outside a school in Luton yesterday afternoon. 2 young teenagers have been arrested, one for murder, one for violent disorder. Its ALL about gangs and drug supply.

It has absolutely everything to do with poverty and lack of role models. These kids fall into a cycle, have kids of their own, and repeat....

I don't know the answer. There might be none. It's not youth clubs though. The ones in deep enough are gone and opening a youth club wouldn't change that.

Girls have a lot more pressure put on them than boys, are abused more, are sexualised, mocked and disrespected more, but they don't go round stabbing each other.

Girls might not be going around stabbing each other as much as boys but they are most certainly involved in gang culture.

Might seem a stupid question but where are all the guns coming from ? Where do these people buy bullets . Surely police can target these supply lines . My original thought is that guns came in with immigrants from war torn countries where life is cheap . The same with knives . I am in my 60s and had to get authorisation to buy a kitchen knife in a well known store . Do the parents of the younger gang members never question where their kids are at night? If they are doing county lines surely they are away all night ?

Social media has a lot to answer for too. Violence can escalate over the smallest thing & it’s all about status. I was at Selfridges the other day and it was full of young boys buying Louis Vuitton in cash - that’s the aspiration...

On the other end of the scale, it's quite possible that black children just get stopped and caught more than the white gang members.

I think part of the problem here is a reluctance from people in power to address some of the issuss becasue they pertain to race and/or culture. They're doing the ostrich trick that worked so well in Rotherham etc. becasue they're too scared of poking that hornet's nest.

It's not just London ,a fifteen year old boy was stabbed to death by two other teens about a mile away from me in Bolton a few weeks ago,I don't know whether it was gang related ,but there are rumours ,.