Interesting comments on website regarding British youth
Aug 30th 2006, 4:12 pm
#1
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Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Mid West >> UK
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Interesting comments on website regarding British youth
I hope its okay to quote peoples comments from another website but I thought this might be interesting a read for some of those wanting to return home and are worried about all the negative press the British youth is getting. I am aware that everyone has different experiences and there will be no doubt someone wanting to tell about their personal experience however the views expressed here I believe are a more accurate reflection of the true position on this issue. The question and answer are from Americans. One thinking of living in the UK and the other there now.
Quote...'when I go to the UK news websites I see lots written about ASBOs & yobs and general hooliganism. I do remember encountering young people from time to time who had no manners. How bad is it? I suppose it just depends on the area? Some of the articles make it sound like you always have to watch your back for a gang of young people. I do not like to feel intimidated'
Second quote and response...'I can't comment on any of the housing/educational bits, but as for the ASBOs/yobs, I think the situation is entirely over-rated. The British media is getting too similar to the US media, as far as scare-mongering goes. They make it sound like every person under the age of 18 is a yob, ready to mug you, or at least spraypaint your front door. It's such a small minority of people who do things like that, like anywhere. I honestly don't think it's any worse than it ever has been. It's just the New Labour response to crime, that is criminalising small acts, and making headlines out of them. Think of it like British people visiting AMerica and asking if they need to worry about being shot. Maybe if you go to the worst areas of the country and harrass people, etc, but for the most part, no (!)...PS - my DH studies anti-social behaviour, and this is his view as well!
Quote...'when I go to the UK news websites I see lots written about ASBOs & yobs and general hooliganism. I do remember encountering young people from time to time who had no manners. How bad is it? I suppose it just depends on the area? Some of the articles make it sound like you always have to watch your back for a gang of young people. I do not like to feel intimidated'
Second quote and response...'I can't comment on any of the housing/educational bits, but as for the ASBOs/yobs, I think the situation is entirely over-rated. The British media is getting too similar to the US media, as far as scare-mongering goes. They make it sound like every person under the age of 18 is a yob, ready to mug you, or at least spraypaint your front door. It's such a small minority of people who do things like that, like anywhere. I honestly don't think it's any worse than it ever has been. It's just the New Labour response to crime, that is criminalising small acts, and making headlines out of them. Think of it like British people visiting AMerica and asking if they need to worry about being shot. Maybe if you go to the worst areas of the country and harrass people, etc, but for the most part, no (!)...PS - my DH studies anti-social behaviour, and this is his view as well!
Aug 30th 2006, 5:32 pm
#2
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 308
Re: Interesting comments on website regarding British youth
Originally Posted by ladylisa
I hope its okay to quote peoples comments from another website but I thought this might be interesting a read for some of those wanting to return home and are worried about all the negative press the British youth is getting. I am aware that everyone has different experiences and there will be no doubt someone wanting to tell about their personal experience however the views expressed here I believe are a more accurate reflection of the true position on this issue. The question and answer are from Americans. One thinking of living in the UK and the other there now.
Quote...'when I go to the UK news websites I see lots written about ASBOs & yobs and general hooliganism. I do remember encountering young people from time to time who had no manners. How bad is it? I suppose it just depends on the area? Some of the articles make it sound like you always have to watch your back for a gang of young people. I do not like to feel intimidated'
Second quote and response...'I can't comment on any of the housing/educational bits, but as for the ASBOs/yobs, I think the situation is entirely over-rated. The British media is getting too similar to the US media, as far as scare-mongering goes. They make it sound like every person under the age of 18 is a yob, ready to mug you, or at least spraypaint your front door. It's such a small minority of people who do things like that, like anywhere. I honestly don't think it's any worse than it ever has been. It's just the New Labour response to crime, that is criminalising small acts, and making headlines out of them. Think of it like British people visiting AMerica and asking if they need to worry about being shot. Maybe if you go to the worst areas of the country and harrass people, etc, but for the most part, no (!)...PS - my DH studies anti-social behaviour, and this is his view as well!
Quote...'when I go to the UK news websites I see lots written about ASBOs & yobs and general hooliganism. I do remember encountering young people from time to time who had no manners. How bad is it? I suppose it just depends on the area? Some of the articles make it sound like you always have to watch your back for a gang of young people. I do not like to feel intimidated'
Second quote and response...'I can't comment on any of the housing/educational bits, but as for the ASBOs/yobs, I think the situation is entirely over-rated. The British media is getting too similar to the US media, as far as scare-mongering goes. They make it sound like every person under the age of 18 is a yob, ready to mug you, or at least spraypaint your front door. It's such a small minority of people who do things like that, like anywhere. I honestly don't think it's any worse than it ever has been. It's just the New Labour response to crime, that is criminalising small acts, and making headlines out of them. Think of it like British people visiting AMerica and asking if they need to worry about being shot. Maybe if you go to the worst areas of the country and harrass people, etc, but for the most part, no (!)...PS - my DH studies anti-social behaviour, and this is his view as well!
most of the teenagers interviewed ( all wearing hoodies) said they didn't cause trouble - they just congregated to meet each other. I did this with my mates when I was young and now I'm a fine upstanding citizen
Some of the adults who felt unsafe were living in an area with a well below average crime rate. It's about perception. Of course there are some thugs out there just like there always has been but we are not living in this lawless state the media would have you think.
Aug 30th 2006, 5:35 pm
#3
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Re: Interesting comments on website regarding British youth
Originally Posted by jugsy
Agreed. I saw a programme recently called Yob Britain. it interviewed lots of people who said they were intimidated by gangs of young people. On further investigation it seems that they hadn't been attacked or abused or anything - they just saw some lads in hoodies and ASSUMED they were up to no good.
most of the teenagers interviewed ( all wearing hoodies) said they didn't cause trouble - they just congregated to meet each other. I did this with my mates when I was young and now I'm a fine upstanding citizen
Some of the adults who felt unsafe were living in an area with a well below average crime rate. It's about perception. Of course there are some thugs out there just like there always has been but we are not living in this lawless state the media would have you think.
most of the teenagers interviewed ( all wearing hoodies) said they didn't cause trouble - they just congregated to meet each other. I did this with my mates when I was young and now I'm a fine upstanding citizen
Some of the adults who felt unsafe were living in an area with a well below average crime rate. It's about perception. Of course there are some thugs out there just like there always has been but we are not living in this lawless state the media would have you think.
I have always felt perfectly safe in London - never had a problem all the decades I lived there!
Aug 31st 2006, 10:52 pm
#4
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Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,296
Re: Interesting comments on website regarding British youth
Originally Posted by Elvira
I have always felt perfectly safe in London - never had a problem all the decades I lived there!
I've always felt safe too when I go home- even when people warn me not to go into town after a certain time because of the 'violence' there - which turns out to be nothing more than a few rowdy youths hanging about. Its media fed fear for the most part, I think.
