ali south

I have two children, a 14 year old (boy) and 16 year old (girl). We live in a nice suburb just outside of London. It seems that most weekends someone or other gets beaten up during a night out. Or on the bus on the way home from school!

As I said we live in a nice area and the kids go to a great school. There seems to be an acceptance here that most teenagers get beaten up at some time or other, not just males either. Certainly it is not just the kids looking for trouble, all kids seem unable to avoid it, other than staying at home.

Is it similar in Australia? I find this all very distressing and would like to know how it is around Australia. Chances are we will settle in a suburb close to a CBD because of work.

Thanks Tara

JayDeee

Sorry and I am not being down on Oz before anyone starts but you get the same things all over the place.

I would suggest renting until you find a suburb you are happy in.

I have tied myself to the place I am in and would like to be out of it but cant yet, I wouldn't like to hear of anyone else tied to a place they dont feel safe.

Cheers
Kala

ali south

Kala
I would rather honest replies, thanks
Tara

Phoenixuk2oz

Kala's right. This can happen anywhere in the world. It's the sign of the times I think and wrong place/wrong time sometimes

Having said this, we've lived in Brisbane/Bayside for 8 months and my boy [16] has never had any probs [touch wood]

ali south

thanks, we are coming to look at Bayside in three weeks, I am very excited!
Tara

Phoenixuk2oz

You shoud be excited. It's a great place to live

JayDeee

Ahh go on Pheonix rub it in

Hoep you have a good time in Bayside Tara.

Kala

Phoenixuk2oz

LOL...I'll try...it's a hard life but somebody's got to live it

Tata

JayDeee

Sharpy67

Do you really think its a sign of the times?

I remember as a teenager that there were punchups quite regularly down the local pub. I used to live in Crawley in West Sussex. Wouldn't have said it was a bad place, but punchups were quite normal on a Friday or Saturday night. Its even worse now I understand!!!

I went down Dicey O'Reillys on Cleveland last Saturday with a couple of mates and there ended up being two punchups that the bouncers had to jump on.

Alcohol for you!!!!

ali south

I think drunken punch ups are one thing, my daughter was assaulted by trespassers at school on the school premises, they have been sentenced now but it was pretty traumatic and out of the blue. My son has a mate that a group of kids decided to beat the crap out of him on the bus on the way home. I was refering more to unprovoked violence.
Tara

JayDeee

I also come from Crawley West Sussex and I do agree that it is a sign of the times, as you yourself have stated "it's even worse now I understand" things change and unfortunately usually not for the better so it is a sign of the times.

The thing with crawley is it is no longer dwn the local pubs like the Tavern on the green or the Snooty fox as it was 10 years ago it is all based in the town centre, where more people are congregating.

Kala

Sharpy67

I agree the Tavern on the Green is longer the place to be.. nor is the parson Pig...shipley Bridge tavern....Frogshole Farm..........Do you remember Oasis?

Think its more along the lines of the Jubilee oak, Pig and Parrot, Club Med and Brannigans......oh and dare I forget the nightclub next to the train station whose name eludes me.

Thing I was trying to get across is the fact that violence at a teenage level is pretty much (i hate to use the word) accepted (especially amongst teenagers) and that I remember my days as a teenager when I would know someone who had been involved in some sort of violence. We are talking about the mid to late eighties!!! This was at school as well as down the pub!

However nowadays weapons (especially knives) seem to be the norm, so I would concede that it is a lot worse now adays.

JayDeee

AHH the parsons pig, and gordon Skeggs the DJ form heaven ha ha ha

I completely agree with you, Weapons scare the crap out of me, Yep When I was at school (Hazelwick) there were fights every other week but they were stupid punch up, too many hormones runnignround teenagers bodies, or the weekend fights in the pubs, too much alcohol. Violence is kinda accepted and to be fair when I saw a fight as kid I saw it as a bit of after school entertainment. However This kina violence was usually an aranged fight that the whole school (inclucing the teachers) knew about before it happened and was really not out of control violence.

What Tara is talking about it way beyond anythg that the normal person saw as acceptable, it is unprovoked gang violence, and I an honestly say I have never seen that in Crawley to the extent that I have seen it here. It is acceptable to the odd few, in the same way as kids hooning and drink driving is almost acceptable here.

Scares the crap out of me


PS the club next to the station is Ikon/Diva, When did you move over, have you been back since? I am asuming from your sign in that you were born in 67 which makes you 10 years older than me, I see that my age group were pretty much the same as mine in Crawley but 2 years younger than me were the kids that carried knives and the violence got out of hand

Kala

ali south

By here do you mean WA?
do you have teenagers or have you just observed this behaviour?
Tara