To find some children very intimidating

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My uncle was walking in his usual park a few days ago. A boy pointed at him and said 'there's a bad man'. My uncle stopped, absolutely shocked. The mum said 'oh we're teaching him to be careful around strange men' and just laughed it off. My uncle is now refusing to walk in the park, even though it is the only place close enough for him to have a daily walk,

A few weeks ago I went out for a walk around my estate. A child walking in front of me darted behind a car, I walked past, she started walking on the opposite side of the road giving me anxious looks, again I walked past her and then saw her peering at me over a wall before running off when she saw me looking at her. It was intimidating and uncomfortable and I just turned around and went home.

I have also had a friend who recently heard loud noise outside her window, leant forward from where she was watching TV and saw some kids roller blading. One child shrieked 'someone's watching us' and they all skated away at high speed and she felt like the wicked witch of the west.

AIBU to think that some kids are being brought up to be so scared of any unknown adults that they're actually becoming intimidating and bullying adults they don't know away from public spaces and normal activities?

Jeez. Why are you so easily scared and intimidated. I wouldn't pay any attention.

Do you have an anxiety disorder?

I wouldn't find that intimidating.

Also your uncle now refuses to go to the park because one kid said something silly? What an overreaction.

No sorry. None of what you have said intimidating nor is it bullying behaviour. It wouldnt worry me if a child said I was a bad lady and it was explained to me that they were learning stranger danger. I know I'm not a bad lady and I'm not adverse to teaching about safe people. It wouldnt concern me if a girl crossed the street as she felt anxious. That's up to her. And I wouldnt be worried if kids shouted someone's watching us in the scenario you mention - perhaps they were worried they would get in trouble. It all sounds a bit overly sensitive OP.

I have spoken about 3 separate people being made to feel uncomfortable about overly anxious kids. No I don't have an anxiety disorder, just want me and other adults to be able to act normally without being made to feel uncomfortable by over anxious children.

I thought this post would be about teenagers hurling abuse and throwing rocks at windows!

Gangs of kids in hoodie refusing to allow access to the shops makes me feel intimidated sometimes.

‘Bullying adults’. Seriously?!

What is it with all the weird children posts?

Half the children in the UK are apparently feral and badly brought up. The other half are timid and anxious.

Eh?

You sound really odd and socially anxious, as do the people you know.

Have you seen the Catherine Tate sketch where the woman is frightened of the toaster popping, OP? Sounds like you and the people you know.

Bullying indeed. Do you usually victimise yourself in this way?

In all the examples given in the OP none of that sounds intimidating and you all sound like you need to toughen up a bit. The teens/tweens in my local area have taken to running riot in the supermarkets and other shops in the evenings, stealing, ruining stock by throwing it at shoppers and even spitting at staff when told to leave. There's been loads of complaints on Facebook about it but the police arent interested. That's intimidating behaviour, those examples are not.

Maybe you and your friends act in a way that unsettles children. Nobody I know has ever experienced this.

NEVER visit The Sistine Chapel with these people - it will be too much for you all!

Seriously OP small children being a bit cautious or shouting a random comment is not intimidating - it's just normal

Wtf. There is no bullying or intimidation going on here

The child speaking about your uncle, and the kids at the window.. those really aren't examples of anxious children.

Do you have children OP?

You all sound like you’re hugely overthinking those situations.

Children should be wary of strangers and perhaps they felt you were all watching them too closely? Just ignore what kids are doing and don’t read into it.

This. Part of being a child is spooking yourself out by being scared of the "weirdo in the old house".

DH works in youth justice/mh, there are some intimidating children who are in/lead gangs and carry weapons and use them without thought of consequence.
Your examples are ridiculous and I'm not sure you understand what intimidating means

Really? Intimidating?

This thread is inadvertently hilarious.

I wouldn’t give it a lot of thought tbh. Though in the case of the anxious girl I would question the choices of the parents allowing a child who is obviously terrified of everyone to be out and about by herself.

A child hiding from you, then running away when you spot them is 'intimidating'?

A child being scared of you is 'intimidating'

A group of kids skating away when they see you watching them is 'intimidating'

Are you sure you know what the word 'intimidating' means

Kids say and do weird and socially inappropriate things and, if their parents are around, they explain (like the first mum) or apologise on their behalf. You and your uncle/friend are being oversensitive.

I would have assumed the children in your second two examples were playing some kind of game.