Why do teenage gangs stress me so much?

I sometimes catch myself thinking along the same lines as the OP. Then I remind myself that they’re basically just doing what I did when I was a kid and are most likely no more of a threat to anyone than me and my mates were.

Good example of the kind of insidious effect of the media when it’s constantly reinforced though. Even if you objectively know better, it’s easy to sometimes find yourself thinking of them gangs rather than groups and much more badly behaved than kids in your day were etc etc.

globalti – Member
So why does it wind me up so much and has anybody any suggestions for dealing with the stress?

For me it’s their uncontrolled behaviour to damage my property i.e. a hand, bottle, rock, football etc through my window. My landlord then has to repair them.

If they keep to themselves I don’t even care if they shoot themselves dead all day so long as they leave me alone.

I got stress at times because if I go out to confront them the law would be on their side as they are all minor under 18. If I have to call the police then I might as well get the police to baby sit them for their parents.

Normally I just let them be in the hope that they got bored and move on.

In Asia we deal with them directly and too are their parents. As a teen we mess around but we do not cause stress to others. i.e. no property damage or taking drugs etc

For me it’s their uncontrolled behaviour to damage my property i.e. a hand, bottle, rock, football etc through my window. My landlord then has to repair them.

How often does this actually happen though?

MrSalmon – Member
How often does this actually happen though?

Every summer or when the weather is fine or when they are fighting each other.

They would get drunk in the nearby park but would have to walk pass my flat …

Currently getting this at work premises,I run a business on an inner city trading estate and we”re inundated with kids every evening,I’m usually the last one working late and they’re a real nuisance.
Often its only the youngsters harmlessly kicking a ball around,but when the older kids turn up its chaotic.
I’ve tried reasoning/threatening/laughing and joking etc and they’re just normal cheeky little blighters,same as we all were at that age I suppose.Spoke to the community police with no real response ,its a busy estate with many skips and 2x glass based businesses and associated waste ,its only a matter of time until one of them gets hurt I guess

Could you not go and hang around outside the visitors parents house?

Because they are destroying Britain, them, boy racers and pot holes isn’t it.

Any party that prioritises these deeply important issues will win the next election.

In Asia we deal with them directly and too are their parents. As a teen we mess around but we do not cause stress to others. i.e. no property damage or taking drugs etc

Are you Jet Li in Lethal Weapon 4?

Start selling them drugs

If you get them all hooked on crack…. Ker-ching!

when i was a kid we tied old peoples door knockers together with string then knocked on one door and watched as both neighbours tried to pull their doors open, we picked and sold blackberries door to door, we collected fire wood and chopped trees down for a stock of firewood in the winter, we sat on our wall and chatted about anything and everything, we got shouted at by the resident grumpy meldrew, and we moved somewhere else,we shopped for the old people at the local shop, we built and raced go carts, we climbed trees, and played outside,we saved up and went to the cinema,we delivered leaflets for the local shop, we had paper rounds,we looked forward to haloween , bonfire night, and the local fete on the playing fields, planning for weeks, we didnt have a sports centre, skate park or boys club or even scouts, although the scout masters where involved in child abuse we found out as adults when they went to prison.

We enjoyed ourselves, we acted as kids,but we respected others property and their cars, but most of all we had fun. and almost every night we where outside wind rain or cold, we survived.

Hell i just sound like one of those nice old people we used to listen to when we where kids, their stories and memories.

Well, thanks to the handful of posters who recognised that I’m asking how to deal with MY problem! Most others wrote exactly what I already know about teenagers and nobody has suggested a mental strategy for dealing with my own self-imposed, irrational stress. I can’t help it; as soon as I hear a shout or a scream my stress level rockets.

Drac – Moderator

In Asia we deal with them directly and too are their parents. As a teen we mess around but we do not cause stress to others. i.e. no property damage or taking drugs etc

Are you Jet Li in Lethal Weapon 4? [/quote]

It’s in Borneo so what do you think?

Send in community officers? Have counseling? 😆

We ARE the community officers! 😆

We ARE all Jet Li minus the glamour and his Kung Fu skill …

In remote area if the village head decides to punish the culprits then they have two choices: Comply or move away … otherwise the consequences will be dire.

edit: in certain part of the remote area if you run down their animal like chicken, goat or cat/dog … you either drive the long way home never use the same road home or if you need to use the same route again to go home you better stop to pay heavy compensation. Otherwise the entire village will be up in arms to beat you senseless … that is the law! Politicians keep a blind eye because they want their votes! 😛

My motorbike broke down (well- chain broke, my fault) in a dodgy area a few years back… Called for reinforcements, got a lift home, grabbed some tools, drove back, still there! phew! Started work, after a few minutes Youths started gathering. Ensured biggest hammer was to hand, carried on. The swarm grew, and grew, I’m thinking I should have brought a bigger hammer then finally the biggest one comes over and goes

“Should have oiled that chain mate, it’s a ****ing disgrace, no wonder it broke. Could have gone through the cases! Or had your leg off”

Then they all wandered off. Not at all the sort of hard time I was expecting! I still wanted to hit him with the bloody hammer though.

Most others wrote exactly what I already know about teenagers and nobody has suggested a mental strategy for dealing with my own self-imposed, irrational stress. I can’t help it; as soon as I hear a shout or a scream my stress level rockets.

I’d take a guess here and say there’s many other things going on in your life and this is just the tipping point.

Try camomile tea.

Stop reading the Daily Mail.

Go for a walk past where the “gang” hangout.

Go for a walk through some “dodgy” areas locally.

Get home, think about how bad things aren’t compared to what the media would have you believe.

Relax.

Some unbelievable attitudes on this thread !
Kids are told they are hopeless if they stay in on the Xbox , iPad etc and then told they are a nuisance if they go out !
It’s the saddest thing ever people have no time for them

The sheer number of activities that my 9 year old can go to is incredible – all within 200 yards – taekwondo, dancing, free 4G football park, gymnastics…. You get the idea.

All these things cost money and adult supervision man, bar the football. But then if all these kids just hung out at the football park there would be complaints about that too.

I remember when i was a nipper, we would just hang out whereever and just do whatever. Eventually we got old enough to get BMXs and went to the skatepark. Without that park, god knows what we would of done.

As teenagers we hung out in parks, not residential streets, the noise must be irritating after awhile.

My residential street is next to a park. My project for this year is to see if I can relax, accept and fall asleep to the dulcit tones of the local yoot’s late night socialising.