Why are teenagers so destructive?

[Tinkerblonde1]

Not all teenagers of course. The majority are great but the mindless destruction. Why?

Last night an old garden seat in my summer house was burnt in three places by a 14 year old boy. Friend of dd. ( not anymore)

I am a teacher and in the last week. A boy has stamped on a pen until it shattered. Another banging cupboard doors over and over. Board displays ripped down, rubbish thrown. Glue stick pulled apart and thrown at the ceiling.

My dd has also noted a teenager walking around with a dead squirrel in the local park. Flower beds being destroyed.

My friends daughter went to a party they stole food. One sat on the kitchen work top and it collapsed. My friends daughters phone was thrown out of the window and stomped on.

I know its not a new thing. My garden chair was ten years old but its not the point. I am noticing it more am my dd is that age now.

Just not something I would ever do myself even as a stroppy teen. I can't understand the mindset.

(1) They know for a fact society has no respect for them

True. My OH is still smug about an arson he committed at his boarding school, which he hated. He got expelled and couldn't be happier for it.

(2) They know they have little chance of ever owning significant amounts of property because society is deeply unequal, therefore why should they care if property is damaged

False. Once they own something of value, they understand immediately. It doesn't have to be much, but if its important to them - they know. Unlike school furniture.

We have some absolute scum teens around here. They are targeting wildlife at the minute. Throwing stones at swans and breaking their necks, smashing eggs. Makes me fucking sick

They are targeting wildlife at the minute

Police? RSPCA?

I would commit murder.

Not all teens are like this.
Mindless vandalism is the reason so many places are closed these days.
A great shame.

l must say our place of work employs quite a few teenagers, 16-18 and they are absolutely no trouble, very quiet infact, but get the job done.
l do agree there are some that are extremely immature and attention seeking ones, l can 't stand to see all the smashed glass on the footpaths and underpass, so pointless and a menace for small children, cyclists and dogs.

I empathise OP. When I was still in teaching it seemed perfectly acceptable for some teens to just wreck and/or steal my property - just because it was mine. They would steal reward stampers and I would find them smashed up just outside in the yard, glue sticks snapped and then smeared on seats - they would steal loads of equipment. I locked everything up and they broke the lock. We did a game with a stop watch and the Teaching assistant left it on a desk and it got stolen. Displays ripped as stated above, and the graffiti - OMG!! Obviously it wasn't all of them, but it was a significant minority and I still don't understand why they did it.

In the communal area they wrecked soft furnishings and we had to police it at all times. In the end we had to restrict access to all of them - they really spoilt it for themselves.

Kid at my school did this to every chair he’d sat in one day. His parents were billed for new chairs.