Why is there such anti -social behaviour amongst youths in Britain?

Question

The Brits don;t come accross as an aggressive nation.

I am a teacher and teachers and the education system can not be blamed. I was shocked to see how two young guys were attacked by two young men for no apparent reason. where is this going and what can be done? Alcohol can not be blamed for kids on the streets attacking old and vulnerable people. There must be something seriously wrong in ones head to do something like that.

Answer 1

i think you mean anti-societal. it's natural for teenagers to rebel against the norms of society, they do it all over the world. i'm sure when you were a teen you did it too.

Answer 2

I'm not sure there is really quite as much anti social behaviour amongst Britains youths as people think. The media has a part to play in the scare mongering about anti social behaviour, and the Government is quite happy to fuel the paranoia because it allows them to get away with implementing harsher social control - like banning hoodies and imposing curfews.

There are several factors involved. One is the changing face of relationships in modern Britain - the increase in one parent families may have a role to play, also the fact that these days both parents go out to work (the British work the longest hours per person in Europe) and so do not have the time to spend with their kids. Add to that the fact that kids have a lot more spending power these days and that our culture is very much geared toward the youth market.

My generation (I'm 40) were brought up by parents whose values came from the Victorian era, my parents were at work from the age of 14 and didn't have the kind of leisure and economic opportunities that many kids today have. When they were young adults the pub was still a place populated mainly by elderly men, these days the pub can seem more like a youth club.

Breweries and drinks manufacturers target young people with a variety of advertising and marketing ploys that encourage them to buy cheap but strong drink. Coupled with all of the above it is no surprise that alcohol plays a part in fuelling the kind of testosterone/adrenalin fuelled antics that we see on our high streets every week. Having said all that I don't think the problem is as bad as we are led to believe and that most young people are decent, honest, vivacious *individuals* in our society - with a lot to offer.

There are worse problems to deal with - poverty, health care, pensions, the environment, the lack of any credible political alternative, education, the dumbing down of the media - young people should be listened to and respected, be seen as a potential resource for the future not scapegoated as part of the problem.

Answer 3

Parents don't discipline their kids as much as they were disciplined by their parents. It's been going on for generations, hence why things change and we're not still living by the standards of our great great great grandparents. That's not such a bad thing I don't think, but there comes a point where people have to stand up to their responsibility as a parent and actually raise their children. Too many parents these days are happy to work long hours in order to pay for life's luxuries and necessities, but the effect is that kids are neglected and kids will be kids and muck up. Without parental supervision and guidance, this behaviour gets imbedded and kids learn that it's something they can get away with.

Besides, it's too easy to blame the government, teachers, the media, the kids down the street, violence in movies etc which is really just a cop out for those who are ultimately responsible.

None of this is helped by the fact that kids can't be punished in ways that have any effect - like smacking! Kids understand a smack. They don't understand (or listen to) their parents going off on one.

Answer 4

This question can never be answered without some speculation. My opinion is that it all stems from parents and education. If the boundaries of right and wrong, and respect are built into childhood, and at school, then kids will grow up and teach their kids the same. This has not happened in Britain for two or three generations, and now we are seeing serious problems.

In general, Britain is still fairly relaxed as a nation, but as in all societies, there is a nutcase quotient. These people tend to get on the news more because of the crazy fear driven tabloid press which blow things out of proportion. There is a serious problem in the UK (england especially) which needs sorting, but it is not meltdown time.

Answer 5

I don't think the youths now are actually that bad (I'm probably just in a different area) but I reckon that all teenagers are rude little sods, and with age they improve. So even 50 years ago everyone was saying "ooh, such anti-social behaviour nowadays"
Then again, the fact that we can't spank our own kids nowadays and that kids can't be sent out of a classroom at school without supervision means that kids are simply being spoilt and they now know that we can't do anything to stop them! It's a funny old thing...

Answer 6

Because teachers and parents now have to be very careful how they discipline children. Hence they are no longer taught to control their baser instincts or to respect other people's rights. Some years ago minors were made to behave or else they received adequate punishment, which most of them did not like. Now they laugh and say you can't to anything to me and they just stick 2 fingers up. Unlike borstal of the old days, anti social behaviour orders mean nothing to the worst behaved youngsters.

Answer 7

Schools aren't allowed to discipline badly behaved children, if you try and take a disruptive pupil out of the classroom, they can sue you for unwanted physical contact or sexual harassment (parents sometimes egg on their offspring to do this) and if you try to tell them off, their going "Oooooohhhhh wat u going to do about it?, give me detention! hahahaha". The punishments are soft so they get away with it.

Some parents don't teach their kids any respect so they dump that role on to the teachers and that is hard when the child is chucking stuff at others, another is swearing and others are trying to bunk off AND try and teach the subject to those rare few children who actually WANT to learn.

Thankfully I learned respect from my parents and was never that bad at school but I got picked on because I tried to learn what the teacher was trying to teach. I never got any REAL help on my work from teachers as they were too busy trying to stop people chucking stools about. How the hell those chairs missed my head I'll never know, maybe I was quick to duck.

Answer 8

i'm no longer certain there is truly quite as a lot anti social behaviour among Britains youths as people imagine. The media has a component to play interior the scare mongering about anti social behaviour, and the authorities is amazingly chuffed to gasoline the paranoia because it enables them to flee with implementing harsher social administration - like banning hoodies and implementing curfews. There are countless factors in touch. One is the replacing face of relationships in modern Britain - the upward push in a unmarried be certain households may have a position to play, also the actual shown actuality that in recent times both mum and dad bypass out to artwork (the British artwork the longest hours in accordance to man or woman in Europe) and so do no longer have the time to spend with their youthful ones. upload to that the actual shown actuality that youthful ones have a lot extra spending skill at present and that our way of existence is extremely somewhat geared in the direction of the more youthful people marketplace. My technology (i'm 40) were presented up by using folk whose values got here from the Victorian era, my mum and dad were at artwork from the age of 14 and did no longer have the kind of leisure and economic opportunities that many youthful ones on the prompt have. even as they were teens the pub changed into nonetheless an section populated quite by using elderly adult adult males, at present the pub can look extra like a youthful people club. Breweries and beverages manufacturers purpose adolescents with a approach of promotion and promotion ploys that encourage them to purchase inexpensive yet sturdy drink. Coupled with each of the above it is not a marvel that alcohol performs a component in fuelling the kind of testosterone/adrenalin fuelled antics that we see on our severe streets per week. Having stated all that i do not imagine the undertaking is as undesirable as we are presented about believe and that maximum adolescents are respectable, honest, vivacious *persons* in our society - with a lot to furnish. There are worse complications to manage - poverty, health care, pensions, our environment, the shortcoming of any credible political option, coaching, the dumbing down of the media - adolescents must be listened to and revered, be considered as a plausible source for the destiny no longer scapegoated as part of the undertaking.

Answer 9

a mixture of factors.Teachers not having the power for discipline any more,soft laws for the young generation,wich is abused by the young generation"touch me,i'll get the bizzies on yer,and the laws on my side cos i'm under age"police not having the power anymore,"i don't ave to tell yer me name 'cos i'm under 16"parents saying "'e's 11 now e can look after his brothers & sisters while I go out".I'm a single mum,was with my partner for 14 years,split up when kids age 3,& 20 months.brought them up on my own,they go to school on time have 100 p.cent attendance,respect their elders,They r both nearly teen-agers,they despise the other kids that abuse,attack&vandalise their neighbours homes.can't just blame school,single parents.

Answer 10

it is because the majority of brits are scum so the youths see this as the normal way to behave and follow suit.
Makes me and all other decent british people feel ashamed to be british.
Blame the goverment as well for allowing so many blacks in the country, if only Enoch Powell was still here!!!

Answer 11

There was a very informative article on the subject in yesterday's Daily Mail. It was written by a psychologist and I figured she probably has a point.