The one the police arrested is 16 - this is no excuse though, the little prick should be locked up for a long time.

I disagree but then that's in my experience from Belfast to North Melbourne.

Chances are your move was from different areas and you have found something in the reverse. It does not negate what I have found.

I do find manners improve the more rural you go.

I would prefer he be made explain in a very public forum why he felt the need to attack a person in a wheelchair.

Then imprison him as well but maybe when you have to explain your actions in front of other they will not seem so clever.

This boy should be ashamed of what he did...if he is not someone has to find a
way to make him.

put him in a wheel chair for 3 months

"Ashamed" doesn't cut it for me.

No-one, of any age, can be excused in any way for doing what they did - beating up a stranger to within 25.4mm of his life for kicks, much less when the victim is disabled.

Ashamed, contrition, apology etc etc are all very well when the perp is actually caught but I very much doubt if they would be in evidence if he wasn't. Rather like all those murderers and abusers who become born again christians in jail: pity they didn't behave a bit better before they were apprehended.

My experience is of Hertfordshire to Adelaide then on to the Gold Coast, with my upbringing being 1930's housing estate and Comprehensive girls only schooling.

I find the kids in Oz to be far more 'kid like' in at Primary age, very confident, bit scruffy and happy. Teenagers on the whole are not threatening at all and I have seen very little Chav type behaviour/dress here... in my area Maori kids can be quite intimidating and tend to form gangs. Teenagers are notably unashamed to be seen with their families and seem to be part of the community still. Young adults on the whole seem to turn out well mannered and educated.

Adults are very community minded and uphold strong morals. Alot of grumbles stem from cultural differences, us Brits being a bit uptight about alot of things

That is my general observations, but of course there are always exceptions.

On the whole my experiences have been positive.

Jan

My experience is the same, but without the diversion to Adelaide and I'd agree with all that. I find the kids, teens, young adults far more well behaved, mannered and find that they, from a fairly young age, will happily hold a conversation with an adult that I've never seen in the UK.

Schools that I've seen put more emphasis on social skills, behaviour etc than the normal education in the early years and that attitude makes a more well rounded person in later years. That's only going by what I've experienced anyway. Obviously there are crap kids, don't know of a child who's perfect and probably wouldn't want to know them if they were. They're all human beings at the end of the day, warts and all.

Reminds me of a saying

"If all Kids are wonderful - where do the crap adults come from"

From my experience of Perth v London children have much better manners in Perth.

I'm very impressed when children on the trains and buses stand for the adults. Now that just doesn't happen in London. Fact.

In London and a lot of the UK the PC world has gone mad and children know their rights without the responsibilities linked to those rights. :curse:

Having said that you still get rude children in Perth. Had an incident at a park last Sunday where some kids (9 - 10 years old approx) were climbing on the flimsy roof covering a climbing frame. I asked them not to climb on the roof, to stop it being broken. They first argued back, before I stood up and walked over to them. Five minutes later their 'bogan' mum walks over and starts swearing at me. I initially thought she was their sister as she only looked to be in her early twenties.

It's obviously very variable. When I used to catch the bus in Brisbane the kids used to stand up as soon as the bus got full - there were signs up saying they had to.

Whereas on the tram in Melbourne they never seem to give up their seats.

In Sydney at the moment and some kids barge on the train while everyone else is waiting for people to get off.

All in all - mixed bag - like anywhere else.

Subsititute 'kids' with 'adults' and the story is the same. Human natcha innit? The living breathing crap of humanity ...

"We are the all singing, all dancing crap of the world" ... funny how some quotes get remembered differently ...

I like the way kids give up their seat for you on a bus in my part of Sydney. I know it's a requirement and they are from posh private schools but it's still refreshing. (oh hang on maybe it's because they think I am old! Gutted).

I have also experienced the other type of kids who got on the bus and refused to pay. My wife told them to either pay or get off the bus and they called her a "b*tch" and told her to "**** off". Dear lord I thought my wife was going to kill them.

Nice one

Generally, the kids here are more polite and confident (in a nice way, not cocky) than the UK. The teens on the supermarket checkouts are always chatty and polite.

Kids are slower to 'grow up' here which as a parent is bloody fantastic!