If you want a snapshot on British youth today, watch a movie called Harry Brown, starring Michael Cain. Warning: the movie is incredibly violent and tells the story of an old pensioner and marine veteran in London who loses his patience with the violent youth and gangs terrorizing his area. It is typical vigilante movie however the violence portrayed is disturbing and probably more accurate than any other vigilante movie I’ve seen.
The point is, the movie raises some serious questions in my mind. Why has Britain allowed these teenagers to take over the country? What caused such violence and why are the police completely incapable of regulating them?
The most obvious and noteworthy thing about these ‘chavs’ is there complete and utter lack of respect for anything and anyone. They do as they please, when they please without ever minding their P’s and Q’s. So where did they get such a sense of entitlement?
An article in 2008 on the subject blames alcohol, a lack of parenting and the fact that British teens aren’t integrated into the adult world but are kept separate, socializing only with their peers. The last explanation may in fact make the most sense-to me anyway. Youth all over the world are exposed to alcohol and to a lack of parenting but they are also exposed to the adult world often enough through having to work for pocket money. This is particularly true of those coming from poorer homes where the parents aren’t around. In the UK, state funds mean that these kids don’t have to work. As a result they never interact with adults and stay on the council estates causing fights with their peers. They are less likely to get involved in community programmes and turn to drugs and gangs instead.
A comment from an older man on the subject a few years back, blames the lack of corporal punishment for the out of control teens. He says ‘ Spare the rod, spare the child.’ He goes on to say that unlike his days at school in the UK, teachers have absolutely no control over their students. The same can be said of the police. Laws put in place to protect children/teens from harm have provided them with a means to harm others without retaliation instead.
What do you think?
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