Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Muggers commit crimes 'for kicks'

Having seen a bit of the youth-justice system in action recently (my eldest boy was mugged for his cell 'phone by a gang of older youths) I was interested to see this article on BBC News. The quote that really made me sit up was;
It would be really sad if this report got translated as a bunch of young people robbing for fun. It is not about that.
"It is for 'kicks', but you've have to understand what the 'kick' is. The 'kick' is people who are victims for prolonged periods of time developing a cycle of revenge so that they then get a high from victimising someone else.
Camilla Batmanghelidjh, founder of the charity Kids Company.

It's staggering how every social problem in Britain can be laid at the door of the middle-class - the fact that people like this assume that the under-class can NEVER be held responsible for it's actions is very prevelent.
I did calm down reading the closing comment;
One of the things that kept emerging in our work was that... this was an extension of traditional bullying. That motivation of dominance, of proving that you were tough in the eyes of other people was a very strong theme.
Marian Fitzgerald, professor of criminology at the University of Kent

So much of this is about being the man and about respect and bling - when is youth culture going to grow up? You don't this kind of engrained hatred with good old rock'n'roll!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If I made up the rules I wouldn't hesitate in holding parents partially culpable for the criminal misdemeanours of their young children.