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.

No sign of them today. Maybe my boringness yesterday bored them off.

This kind of behaviour seems quite bad at the moment. In my local town centre kids now have free transport and while most kids use it for positive things it has lead to an increase of bored teens hanging about town up and getting up to no good including attacking people, often women. There are posts almost daily on local groups about something happening.

I live in what a lot of the UK think is a dangerous part of London. I never see kids behaving like this never

I was thinking the same thing!

In your experience, why do kids do this?

Stupidity and impunity.
In my experience, 12-13 is like second toddlerhood. Just look away and they do dumbest shit, like eat their own snot, scribble on walls and break whatever isn't nailed down.
Nobody willing to dish out any discipline isn't helpful either. Schools are very big on crap like uniform code, but when its antisocial behavior then there is "nothing they can do". Police will do fuck all and people are scared to even defend themselves.

He mumbled something I couldn't hear, but got right up close to me, which is why I turned away.

Please don't call 999.

Why not? Children that age have killed adults and OP sounds small and vulnerable.
Plus I'm buggered if I know what else the police actually do nowadays anyway.

That's because people in your area would quite rightly smack them in the mouth. In other areas, people worry about the legalities of defending themselves, desert the streets to the yobs and try to get the police involved (who are useless. See PP). So the problem gets worse and worse.

Update: I had a phonecall from a lovely female police officer yesterday. She asked for a description of the kids, asked if I would speak in court if they happen to find them in future and even asked if I would speak to the kids themselves (in a controlled environment). I said yes to everything. Of course, as there was zero evidence, they couldn't pursue the crime in isolation, but she explained it's been logged and will contribute to a picture. She was very supportive. I asked if it was okay to film the kids on my phone if it happens again, she said "absolutely YES. The age of the offender does not matter." She urged me to report if it happens again.

Quite surprised at the fast and proactive response tbh.

13Ghosts, shame oven cleaner spray ain't legal!!!

That’s really good OP. I’ve been thinking about you. My hometown has changed over the last 40 years in many cases not for the best.

i hope you never have any further problems with that group of children.

Good outcome. You have got support now, and will be prepared in case it happens again.

It was comforting to hear a police officer endorse filming kids on your phone during threatening situation. It has given me the confidence I needed to go about my daily walks.

That’s all good to hear and now you’ve got permission to film them. You probably won’t see them again.

If you do film them please use a crossbody phone strap to try to stop them snatching your phone off you. Gripping it tightly won't work.