What’s wrong with British teenagers?
This is a question that always causes a row. The institute for Public Policy Research recently concluded that in comparison with other European countries, British teenagers were more likely to abuse drink and drugs, have underage sex, join gangs and get into fights.
I’m not convinced that is true at all. I won’t deny that we have some really horrible teenagers around who make everyone’s life a misery, but isn’t that also true of adults?
Maybe it’s because they gather together in public places, making noise and dropping litter - and sometimes getting up to stupid mischief, but this is inevitable when there’s so little else for them to do unless their parents can afford it.
Some of the weirdest looking groups are often some of the most pleasant, whilst many, more normal looking teens would rob their own mother to buy drugs and it’s not just single parent kids from poor areas, but those from well of families too.
There’s no pattern to it, really. I think what has changed in recent decades though, might be the influence of music artists, the internet and electronic games, but if the teenagers of earlier decades had enjoyed the same privileges I don’t think they would have been, or behaved, very much differently.
Teenagers are an easy target for moaning adults who are more disgruntled with bills and services as much as anything.
They forget the young soldiers serving with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan or the stamina of the young nurses in our hospitals, not to mention the discipline of our budding athletes and sport players.
It’s more about rapid social change highlighting differences between generations than the end of the world being near.
One Comment
Society has changed in such a way (largely to do with politics) that prevents adults from offering the same levels of logical advice, guidance and discipline to the young people of today. This in turn could be contributable to the increasing number of young people engaging in anti-social behaviour as they usually are able to quote some health and safety or human rights law that allows them to ‘get away with it’.
Im not that old (28) and I am appalled at the behaviour of some young people nowadays but I also understand that there are some really decent young people out there, who are unfortunatley being tarred by association.
Adults, especially parents, are probably finding it harder and harder to be able to intervene when necessary to prevent antisocial behaviour from taking place. Also large groups of youths can be really intimidationg, to people of all ages, and because there is no law against it, some young people take advanatge of this.
This country really needs to get a grip on antisocial behaviour and its young people engaging in it before its too late. Afterall, these young people will eventually grow up into adults and it would be nice to think that they would be able to conduct themselves in a manner which wouldnt affect, upset or offend anyone else around them - in the same way that most of us lawabiding citizens already do.
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