Still fuming

[GayforMoleman]

Took 11 year old DD to a local park today with DSis and DN (3). Drunk teenagers everywhere. Literally about 30-40 of them. Because they were gathering in a certain area, poor DN couldn't get near it or understand why. One, about 14, with her bum literally hanging out of her shorts decided to stop by me and DD and shout "SUCK MY DICK EMO!" at us. DD visibly shocked and I couldn’t say a fucking word for fear of us both being jumped by the rest of them. It actually sickens me that kids around here (nearby Liverpool) get away with murder. Sometimes actual attempted, they wont blink before they'll go for a grown man with a knife. You cant say a thing because they're all Billy big bollocks in gangs, the lads wearing balaclavas. Police wont do a thing.
AIBU in thinking this is no way to live?!

Stop making excuses for them. I was a teenager in the 80s and I didn’t go to youth clubs or sports centres but I didn’t behave the way the teenagers did in OP’s description. I don’t know which park it was but I also grew up near Liverpool. I’m sorry but there’s just no excuse for it.

This always gets brought up but we didn't have anything like that here growing up and managed to not hang around a children's park saying inappropriate sexual things to 11 year olds.

Well I live in Liverpool and what the OP describes is completely unrecognisable to me as well. Where is the park OP? On the very odd occasion groups of (mainly boys) congregate in the park to do something anti social I.e. setting off fireworks around Bonfire night, the police are there v quickly and they are dispersed. My local parks are very child friendly. I'm sure there are parks everywhere in the UK that you wouldn't take your kids but I'd be out of there immediately with my dd whether she wanted to go on the swings or not

Sadly the perception of Liverpool from those of us outside of it is that it has an impenetrable gang culture.
There seems to be no plan to address it. I’m so sorry OP.

Let’s not forget, of course, what Boris thought of Liverpool. That fine upstanding, honest, problem-solving politician that is Boris Johnson.

Sadly the perception of Liverpool from those of us outside of it is that it has an impenetrable gang culture.

the OP live inside Liverpool and has this perception

@Ursualesther um I do realise that. The whole conversation is about an incident that happened in Liverpool.

I’m sympathising with her and letting her know that the way she has to live is not the norm and that most of us do not live like that.

I would be fuming too. I have a child the same age as OP’s. I understand that you have to be careful whenever you come across small groups of teens, let alone a huge gang.

Anyone on here who suggests the OP is at fault here is being obtuse. She should be able to visit a park on a Monday afternoon without the threat of violence.

You need to move away from the cesspool

I live in St Helens actually. There has been loads of trouble with gangs outside the Mcdonalds at night. But even in the day, in a town centre full of (empty) shops there are kids openly smoking weed. Also in parks and outside schools. No one cares. There are never any police around. My son has been assaulted twice, once he was glassed in the face and it just missed his eye. The police didn't want to know and put him off making a statement. He knew who had done it, but also there is a culture here of not being a 'grass'. So people don't report stuff and the police know this I think and encourage it.

💐@Ohthebanality That is terrible. I’m so sorry that happened to your son. How old is he now and is he able to stay out of harm’s way?

It's terrible but normal almost living here? The police are just not bothered. My son was not going to be a 'grass' either. That was more important to him than the person who assaulted him facing any consequences. This is how awful it is living in parts of Merseyside now.

OP I'm with you 100% - I live in an allegedly affluent town on the Sourh Coast and every other day our local rag carries stories about teenage stabbings and the re-routing of buses due to teenage misbehaviour and intimidation.

I'm in my 50s, recently widowed so feel pretty brutal about alot if things and have no fucks left to give.

I have faced off teenagers three times in the last six months.

On the way to my DPs grave I verbally laid into a teen boy attacking a bus shelter with a lump of wood. His female companion went nose to nose with me so I just brought on the crazy and threatened to call the police. She was bigger than me but I didn't care. They backed down and I did report them but they skeddadled so it probably came to nothing.

I was in my shop (niche, Goth, weird) and three young gentleman, one wearing a mask went past the window - I glanced at them out of reflex - one of them locked eyes with me and squirted his drink over window and the table and chairs I have outside for customers as it's a small shop and sometimes people sit and wait for actual shoppers - not sure who was more shocked when I ran screaming through the door and gave them a piece of my mind - me, the little darlings or the two friends who were visiting at the time. I got some verbal back but they went off.

Third occasion I was still in the shop after hours doing some admin and had my back to the window. I jumped a mile when someone banged the window so hard I thought it was coming in. It was the same trio so rinse and repeat - ran out and screamed like a banshee at them.

Yesterday I watched a child of four or five very deliberately spit in the eye of one of the skull ornaments I have either side of the door and then run off. I went out to see if I could have a word with the parents- obviously am not going Terminator on a small child - but the family had crossed the road and I think the parents were oblivious so that one I left....

My adult son is worried that I will get into trouble at some point but I'm damned if I'm going to let these kids attack my property and put my business at risk.

I have dealt with a lot of troubled teens as my sons were growing up, and will help, support and counsel if I can, but I will not tolerate mindless thuggery.

In a situation such as yours, you did nothing wrong and handled it well. But it's not fair that you were put in that position, and the authorities should be tackling anti-social behaviour in public places much more firmly.

I'm used to being laughed at and insulted due to being a lifestyle Goth, so have a pretty thick skin and accept I somewhat "ask for it" by being a bit out there.

But there are limits. And the intimidation of people with kids by other kids in situations such as yours makes my blood boil.

I'm sorry you had that experience.

He's 27 now. I've another son who's 15 and never goes out. I don't blame him.

Is moving a possibility because this is no life for your teen son.

does he attend school?

It’s just an absolute disgrace really, I live in the north east, there is generally big groups of teenagers - there is nothing for them to do round here, but to be honest they would move out of a park for a child, always polite when I’m pushing my baby round in the pram. I mean I understand they are not so polite to police etc but the police do try to move them on quick or split them up. The often hang about on the metro (which is a train) they’ve even put security in place on the metro to stop them being disruptive. I mean I did see a child no older than year 7 try to steal the just eat man’s moped outside Burger King when it was busy in broad day light. I absolutely worry myself sick for when my daughter is older though 😩

It's actually really common. We used to do it when we were teens on the beach, called a "beach party", every weekend, to drink and mess around with friends. After talking to my husband/friends who didn't live near the coast, their friends and them used to go to "field parties", ie drinking in fields with their pals. This is all in SW/SE

My son also knows a lad who helped to hide the car of Thomas Cashman. He told me this a couple of weeks ago. Local gangsters and drug dealers are like celebrities round here. People boast about knowing them. Everyone is obsessed with buying designer labels, going to Flannels and spending hundreds of pounds on trainers and clothes. The local crackheads in JD Sports with wads of cash. This is all normal now. Glamourising drug and gang culture.

Because they’re chasing around suicidal people and missing teenagers, stepping in to pick up and administer first aid where ambulance can’t get there. Acting as social services.

basically they’re doing everyone else’s job as well as their own.

gangs of teens not harming anyone come after the person on the bridge, the car crash, the heart attack, the abused kids, and you know, actual crime.

No no possibility of moving. We are trapped here.

It's disgusting. We live in Manchester and it's like this in our local park half the tine

I took my children to the local park a few weeks ago after school, 4pm comes around and it was full of teenagers in balaclavas and their face covered.

My children were playing on the gym equipment and some of them came over and climbed up and sat at the top of the equipment. My small child say "look at that big boy up there" and he said "and fucking what I'm up here, what's it to do fucking do with you?"

I was with my children, my friend and her children and her partner. 2 adult women and an adult man and they still speak to kids like that infront of adults.

My children started muay thai last week because I'm frightened for their safety in the future because of teenagers like that

But is what you’ve described the same as what the Op has described? No

Imagine being rude for no reason, jesus

But yes in a sense. Bunch of drunk teenagers in a park. One stupid one yells something offensive. Intimidating yes, not necessarily unsafe

You described teens drinking on the beach

if you think thats that same sort of thing as this then fair enough

I don’t

Goodness there’s sensitive and then there’s thin skinned