Harassed by kids in street

[HebburnPokemon]

On my daily walk in a woodland area just now I was harassed by a group of kids on their bikes. They were swearing, saying if I didn’t answer them they would smash my face in, and coming towards me on their bikes and swerving aggressively. I’ve never seen anything like it. They looked around 12.

I'm 5ft0 and autistic. I was alone. I felt scared.

What can I (realistically and legally) do if this happens again? Aside from reporting to police who won't care.

What should I do?

Call 999 in the moment as you were genuinely fearful and felt at immediate risk of harm.

Haven't read the whole thread yet, but am thankful for this reminder about self-defence. I am getting this farb gel. I like that it has a hole for attachment to a lanyard. As a dog walker, I need to keep my hands as free as possible. I also keep a strong torch in my pocket, for dazzle purposes.

They might take it off you. Similarly don’t try to hit them with a stick, they might grab it and hit you with it. Standing up to a bunch of kids in any way could turn dangerous very quickly.

A body camera is probably your best option. Would you need a special vest/ jacket so that they couldn’t snatch the camera?

Walking around me in a group, asking to see my phone, what my name was, how old I was. Probably just messing around, but I can say that now, with distance. At the time I felt vulnerable, and when I looked back and they were coming onto the bridge, yeah, didn't feel right, heading to a pretty lonely lane and all.

Just be alert - keep your phone ready in your pocket, maybe make your walk shorter thanusual, especially if you’re feeling anxious. And enjoy the autumn.

I had a look at this. Unfortunately the activation button doesn't look protected, so could easily be set off accidentally (like so many rape alarms ime - super embarrassing). They look elegant, but are quite expensive.

One was riding his bicycle at me heals, calling me bitch and demanding money.
I was scared and enraged at the same time. My instinct was to grab and shove.
Illegal? Don't care. Police are going to do nothing about it anyway, as said here already.

Don't let them stop you from taking your usual walk, OP. I think your response in the moment was absolutely right - you stayed calm (on the surface), basically ignored them and kept walking. That would be no fun for them, and I assume they soon pissed off to find another target. I would maintain that strategy, but add in calling the police if they don't leave you alone. I would report it every time it happened (hopefully it won't happen again). Try to get a good look at the kids and what they're wearing - they are likely known to local police already, but maybe not. They are 12 so should be in school and if you can find out what school, you can report them there also.

Stay calm, look like it's not bothering you or you think it's silly behaviour. If they absolutely won't leave you alone, run away if possible towards a populated area or somewhere you know there's CCTV and/or other people, and call the police. Stop another person and tell them what's happening, ask them to call the police. If you can't run away, call the police if you can. They will likely mock and jeer but probably back off/run away at that point. Last resort after calling the police is shouting and screaming loudly for help - "help I'm being attacked". That's an escalation and therefore a last resort, but will probably see them off.

Remember, they are children and although threatening and dangerous in a group, half of them are probably only there because they fear being left out or bullied if they don't go along with it, and the only half are only doing it because it impresses the weaker ones. So if you have to escalate, then calling the police/making clear the illegal and violent nature of their behaviour may be enough to stop them.

And finally, if you're in a position to, get a dog! A dog will make it look like you have protection, even if it's a soft one.

I intervened on behalf of my two gc's a few years back. They had been to the shop and on the way back two lads around 12 started swerving bikes at them, spitting at them, then slapping them as they passed. I went out and received horrible abuse. I tried to find out the house they came from and when they saw I wasn't giving up they attacked me and pushed me to the ground. Fortunately someone passed by in a van and stopped. They actually wanted to put them in the van and give them a slapping! I said that was absolutely not necessary. The lads told me they knew where my family lived and their aunt would be round to beat me up. I told them I looked forward to her visit which never happened.

I rang the Police who seemed disinterested and said how on earth would they know who they were. Given the area, I said they certainly would and to speak to the local community worker. They got them straightaway. One admitted, one denied. They got Community Resolution whatever that is. Please don't be alone in that area if you can help it. I know how infuriating it is to have to avoid areas you enjoy but safety first.

There are regular posts on my local Facebook page where people have taken photos of videos in this and other situations. Sometimes they're posted, sometimes the person says they're taking the evidence to the police or schools for identification. So I think you're fine doing that. But ideally have a wrist strap on your phone and use it, so that they can't grab it if you.

Anti-social behaviour is more the territory of the Conservatives, and if they would convincingly firm up about it, and about women's rights in general, I would consider voting for them next time, though I never have before.

Fwiw, I recently had a man approach me when I was walking my dog late at night. I instinctively said 'Excuse me' and turned away as if needing to attend to my dog. This was non-confrontational, and he walked away. Of course another man might not have done, but I thought my response worked well this time.

Please don't call 999.

From the official source

"Only call 999 in an emergency where there is a danger to life, or a crime in progress
When to call 101
You should call 101 when it is less urgent than 999 but you need to report crime or disorder."

I would say the OP was victim of a crime in progress.

A body cam is on all the time, this means no faffing around getting the phone out, unlocking it and getting to the camera app. Just thinking that if upset you could be shaking & drop the camera or the little shits could swipe it out of your hands.

They really are scum, aren’t they? Where do they learn this behaviour 😡

How scary. What did he say?

A gang like this has been riding around my town swerving in front of traffic and spitting in windscreens and abusing motorists.

They rally on tik tok , meet up and cause mayhem. The police have issued a dispersal order in one of their meet up places .

Well that's nonsense for a start. The law is very clear on self defence.

Get a big dog. The harrasment will mysteriously stop.

Why not?
Problem with women being easy targets is that they do not defend temselves in 99% of cases.
An adult woman can absolutely smash 12y old. Few of them.
Saying as someone who fought adult males.
They are mostly shocked by an attack.

OP I get the feeling that responding physically is not something you would be comfortable with - like many other people.
Having worked with these sorts of kids I think I could handle the situation but it could rapidly escalate.
I agree with bodycam or baseball hat with camera. They are hands free and more discreet.
Your apparently calm response was good and also reporting the incident to the police.
I agree de escalation being the first point of defence and that is what I’d do.
Please be careful because some kids are capable of causing serious harm despite their age.

i'm afraid if a dog as much as nips a kid, it will be ordered to die.

HebburnPokemon · Yesterday 21:00

In your experience, why do kids do this?

Unfortunately, it's not really rational. They do it because they enjoy causing fear and pain, just like all bullies do. Once you're marked, that's probably it.

What would be the best way for me to respond?

I really don't have the answer, they may react OK one day and explode the next.

Going by your username, are you walking in the Hill Park area? I've friends there and there are loads of little scumbags on the estate. Junkie and dealer parents, jailbird parents and the like. One couple have a Belgian sheepdog ad the lady of the couple is happy to walk her, even at night.

The dog isn't aggressive, but has reacted to back her up at least twice.

No, it's shorthand for Dear Children or Darling Children. Those children were neither.