Why aren't we discussing the kids running riot in London and Birmingham off the back of a TikTok trend? [title edited by MNHQ at user's request]

[EvangelicalAboutButteredToast]

If there’s already a thread I couldn’t see it.

It's feral kids brought up by feral parents, plenty of whom are on MN. Frequently there are posts with people bragging about shoplifting, swearing on MN etc,.... these people with zero standards are the root cause of these issues that decent people like you are facing.

It's awful that youth groups and facilities have closed down yes, totally agree, but as someone born in the 1960s there wasn't a whole lot for us to do too and we didn't go rampaging around. And if any grown up said jump I was expected to say how high!? I don't agree now with the way I was brought up, and certainly never copied it with my daughter who is now 30 and she never rooted or was anti social. I get in some areas there's zilch, but where I am we have a beach literally 10 minutes from the transport hub I work in and several big parks, there's no need for 50 kids to riot through on pushbikes! And growing up I knew that of another grown up told me off and it got back to my dad my life wouldn't be worth living!

It wasn't only Mods and Rockers. Illegal raves attracting thousands used to be held all over the country. Illegal bare knuckle fights and dog fights were organised attracting hundreds. Riots took place in many towns in the hot summer of 1977, including Reading where I was at the time.

This was all in the days before mobile phones. Social media bans will not cure this. You cannot legislate to remove phones and texting from children, parents need it for communication.

Also, how easy would it be to ban kids from social media? How would platforms police it? Unless every platform required photo I'd or documents. ? And parents could set up account for their kids maybe? I don't have any social media like Facebook or Instagram I don't know

I agree with you. I live in SE London and knife crime is almost always black on black. You get the parents on tv afterwards saying this must stop but nothing ever happens. Never see a policeman around streets, sometimes community police in day.

A couple of years ago outside a local shop I saw a Staffy fighting with another dog (one black one white owner), man walking by who I talked to said he was off duty police showed me his ID but said he couldn’t stop as he didn’t have his stab vest on and he was coming off duty. Friend of mine lived in Deptford for a few years, moved recently as she felt unsafe. Could be any colour but mostly black youths she said.

It’s on the news as M&S speaking out.,,an ex police officer is on saying that what is obvious from all the videos and pics taken and circulating is that’s it’s all black kids involved.

He said police are not allowed to stop and search and it needs to start again.

I saw some feral parents the other day outside a local theatre after the theatre school show. Almost fist fighting shouting and swearing with kids looking on. Disgusting.

Spray them with paint. Let them explain to their parents why they're painted.

There really needs to be more of a shift towards helping young black kids into study/work. Where I live (not far from Croydon) the local shopping centre in Croydon was set to be redeveloped into Westfield, now shelved but apparently Westfield are now finally involved and engaging to do something.

A friend of mine (white) is a director of a dance school which runs street hip hop etc dance performances, classes, lots of black kids involved.

The ex police officer said police are having to police with their hands tied and fear for their jobs…as the cry of racism goes up straight away. From the chats that are out and circulating it was clear that was what that mega gang of kids planned to do. He said police don’t choose who is doing this and it’s obvious if you have eyes in your head. He said if it was a football crowd with footie tops it would have been far heavier handed. He said 6 arrests is a total joke it should have been like 50 or 60.

You had loads to do as a teen in the 70's. Teen culture was huge, you had hundreds of live bands to go and see. No teen ever stayed in at home.
I was a teen in the 90's and we could drink in pubs from 16 - no-one batted an eyelid. We went to clubs and bands every weekend.
We had an absolute ball.

There is no teen culture now.
No affordable live music.
Nothing interesting to do at all.

It's a very, very boring existence fueled only by atrociously crap social media content. There isn't even any British TV aimed at teens anymore. At least we had the fun of Big Breakfast, The Tube, TFI Friday, Top of the Pops, The Word etc etc.

There's nothing for them now.

I remember years ago in the 60/70s probably, the skinheads and greasers would meet up and fight but they didn't go rampaging through shops, just kept it amongst themselves.

Yeah that’s exactly what the ex cop was saying. They are planning these across London and if police stop them they will accuse the police of racism. Their messages are in one of the newspapers and Tik Tok.

Basically they think they are untouchable, the police officer said if it’s not nipped in the bud now it will get a whole lot worse.

I think that's just area demographics though, the kids in my area are mainly white. The gang of 50 I stared down the other week were all white.
Shoplifting, where I am the police won't respond unless the haul is literally in the 100£ s of pounds or the robbers used violence. Some shops including a well known sandwich coffee etc name don't prosecute.
It's not just kids. Yesterday I got into town early so I could shop before my shift started and saw the police van and 2 cops dealing with a drunk woman complete with bottle of spirits she was glugging like I'd glug Pepsi Max! THEN a man came up and began abusing the police. In the end they removed the alcohol and arrested the man. This was 1.20 pm yesterday btw

Teen culture was MASSIVE.
The 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's was a whole lot of fun for teens.

I can't imagine the boredom and negativity they must feel now with teen culture so sanitised, while the wider adult world literally bombs each other to a pulp whilst getting their lips plumped and teeth whitened.

Orrr... those are reputable news outlets and there's a reason you are struggling to find a link from bbc or the guardian...

There is free transport until the age of 16 in London and plenty to do - community football clubs, council gyms, part time jobs. The issue isn’t lack of stuff to do - it’s to do with poor parenting and unlimited access to the internet.

The police need to manage the crowd for a while and put a marker on all TFL zip cards of the kids - two marks and they lose their free transport. That will hurt parents who need to then pay for the privilege and indicate to the schools what they have been doing.

I stand corrected. I was never allowed to do anything like that though! I wasn't even allowed to choose my hairstyle until I started work at 16 and paid for it myself. ?!

I read something about a dispersal notice at the four corners in Glasgow (well known area outside the main train station for non Scots). Wonder if it’s related to this sort of behaviour.

Probably, I think it's a section 38 banning you from certain areas of town

I agree - it happened when I was young (now 70), tho mostly boys attacking other boys, and (in my experience) nowhere near the riots happening now.

The outcome of "gentle parenting"
We are reaping the rewards of standing back and being led by the wants of children.

Kids are f...king savages and need firm boundaries / direction and strict outcomes for bad behaviour. Which currently they don't have because adults have been weak and kids take advantage at every opportunity.

It's just part of growing up isn't it, the pushing of boundaries.

If you have ever stood out of sight and listened to a group of teenagers chatting when out of earshot of adults, you'll realise how feral most are.

Get the police dogs out and round up the feral youths as the animals they are.

That sounds really restrictive. I hope you've had chance to make up for it since!

Free transport for under 16's, community football club and the gym??
Sounds exhilarating.

There is NO TEEN CULTURE in Britain. No affordable live music. No places that teens can gather and go a bit wild for a while.
Even niteclubs are inaccessible as overly strict age limits and overpriced.

All there is is supermarket alcohol and the internet.

And yet it's poor white boys, closely followed by the girls, who are at the bottom of the education and employment lists.

But it isn't poor white boys and girls rampaging in a group through our cities.

Go figure.