Above is an interesting link that shows how serious the problem of antisocial behaviour is becoming in the UK.
Part of Outside Light's vision is to reach out to people outside and to show them they're valued. Behaviours like those shown in the above clip can deteriorate especially where groups are left to their own devices. Individually I'd bet that these people are as charming as those we meet in the streets in Knaphill and Old Woking - but in groups their behaviour changes - groups like this can appear intimidating and, understandably this causes neighbours to complain.
Volunteers are needed to reach out to people like these before they get involved in alcohol or other substances.
Outside Light needs You!
John - although I am not sure of the writer's meaning behind the above blog (it may have been you who wrote it) I think that he has hit upon something very real. I know of the story in the link and have followed it quite closely but I think it highlights the real seriousness of the "problem" of anti-social behaviour in the UK. In my opinion the seriousness comes from the apparent inability for the general public at large to communicate or empathise with its fellow human beings. Having been hit from all sides by the news glorifying and magnifying anti-social behaviour people are now too afraid to come out of their doors and try to reason with people. All too often they will turn to the police or the local authority to solve their issues because they no longer have the skills/patience/ability to actually sort them out themselves. I am sure that since you have been doing the Outside Light "patrols" you have found for yourself that these kids aren't as bad as the picture that is painted of them. Much of the time they are unaware of the distress they cause due to the inactivity of the people they are bothering. In fact, the only time the distressed person acts is when they are at their wits end and generally this ends up with the member of the public becoming an offender. When I was younger if there was a problem with any of the kids where I grew up it was dealt with quite politely by the parents. Nowadays this skill has been lost the kids have no-one to monitor or instill community discipline so they are left to run riot (even if it is unintentional).
ReplyDeleteThis for me is certainly the cause of the "seriousness" of the problem of anti-social behaviour in the UK.
Hope you are well. The common appears to be behaving itself at the moment.
Josh