Teenage rampage?

Reporter: by STEVE DUTHIE
Date published: 12 February 2010


If you're a parent with teenagers under 18, you often find yourself wondering what they get up to, how late they should stay out, who they are staying out with and what they are doing.

So the last thing you are concerned with is that they are with a group (or should that be gang?). In fact this is for me better than them being on their own. At least they are less likely to be picked on if they are with friends.

But it's just this behaviour that causes concern. As far as I can see any group of young people, whether they're up to no good, or not, are considered a threat. Most people don't want them hanging around outside shops or in the parks.

So as a parent what should we do?

I have a teenage son and daughter. Both I would say are fairly good kids, by the standard that they go to school, live within the rules at home (most of the time) . They can't be locked in their rooms all week, and they don't want to go to organised "youth" events, although they will if there is a band playing they like.

I can understand that an older person looking at a group of teens might find them a threat, they are a noisy gaudy lot, but most are just with their mates in person rather than in cyber-space.

What's happening has happened in different ways for generations, although it is perhaps more visible on a street corner than in the Church Hall. From what I can gather from my children, what they want is space to be with other teenagers, and that doesn't involve adults telling them what to do.

They are caught in the years between going to pubs and being at home - with all the corresponding angst. Adding the label of the ASBO generation hasn't really helped, other than to give the few idiots something to aim for.

Parents have to take responsibility for their children, but you have to accept that the young person has to take responsibility for themselves too. Moves to add youth councils to the formal council will help, perhaps asking the groups of teens to be involved in finding their own solutions might also be useful.

Rather than just being controlled could they set their own standards for behaviour - should we even have youth PCSOs?

There are no easy answers and it might be a generational thing anyway, without the teenage rampage years where would our culture be? Perhaps balance, less scare mongering and more understanding might go a reasonable distance to helping us all cope. After all we've all been teenagers once.