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by chris jury_Archive
I deal with kids all day, every day. It's my job.
First off, having lived in the lovely UK, I can assure you, you have the most ill-manered children on the planet. I remember small groups of kids wandering around, throwing rocks, calling people names, taking swings at folks just walking by. Most of that behavior stems from there not being any real consequence to their actions. Ignoring it, saying "there's nothing you can do" is what has caused this problem in the first place. We have similar problem in some of our more economically depressed areas, where parenting has become a lost art and ther aren't social services to pick up the slack.
First step: install consequences. These don't need to be violent, but they do need to be real, unpleasant and quick (the police showing up 2 weeks later doesn't 'connect the dots' in and adolescent mind). In Sunderland I often would just grab them by the arm and explain that if it continued they'd be on their way to hospital. use your own judgment on this sort of thing...Because, like when training a dog, you have to win and you cannot back down once you step up.
Second Step: Get to know their parents, or school administators (school outfits work well for ident., especially with afternoon troublemakers). Take pictures or video for clear identification, because parents/masters rarely believe a stranger over ther own little darlings. and keep notes, so that you can give them specifics. Mention the Police to mom and dad and Newspapers (and racial prejudice) to the admins.
Third step: make sure the youth understand that the community welcomes them after their behavior is sorted out. Alienation drives this engine as much as anything else.
-chris
No one is paying you to sit on that bed and cry.