How can we allow this to happen in today's time

[Alg]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23852435-2012-olympics-composer-beaten-up-by-teenage-gang.do

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

That is shocking.

We really need to get some answers as to why the children of today are behaving in appalling ways.

[Narnia]

Well I can only speak for mine, and he dosen't. This is appaling, but is there an easy answer?

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I think it is really sad that some children are becoming so disrespectful to adults, the law and in general.

Where is the manners? respect?

Is it computer games? the music? I don't honestly believe that broken family are producing kids who like violence.

[isham bracey]

It's very sad and I don't normally comment but this example of the ignorance of some children (young adults?) has to be a reflection of their parents and upbringing. Thick, stupid, waste of time, they (and us) would be better off if they were conscripted in to the army. There, I've become my father, but that is what I now believe. To use an old fashioned term they and their parents should be thoroughly ashamed (but none of them will be reading this).

[SeanMacGabhann]

Computer games? Music? Oh ffs. Let's blame books. And then cinema. That's what previous generations did.

Dreadful thing to happen but rushing to find an easy answer is worse

[SteveT]

I doubt whether the parents know what their offspring are up to when they are out of sight of prying adult eyes.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I don't know that is why I am asking, and naturally as they are hoodies, I am questioning the whole gang culture thing, you see hip hop music making it seemed cool to have a life of crime, video games where the violence is shocking, violence movies, there is so much details in them and I am sure the more people are exposed to them, the less shocked they are and the harder they become.

What is YOUR reasoning to the whole gang/hoodie culture?

Kids are not born bad, so something has gone wrong along the way, and I am sure all of the above is a factor to it.

Even supernanny did a test on TV about children being exposed to computer games actually being less polite and harder to shock than the children who did not go on computer games.

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Computer games? Music? Oh ffs. Let's blame books.

> And then cinema. That's what previous generations

> did.

>

> Dreadful thing to happen but rushing to find an

> easy answer is worse

[Loz]

Personally, I think the lack of respect for adults by children is a by-product of the current hysteria about paedophiles. What we have done is prevented adults from pulling up badly behaved children on the basis that all they have to do is make a few crafted accusations and they will be, at least initially, believed. Kids know how powerful the p-word can be. Ask any teacher.

Honestly, if I saw an incident involving children I would almost certainly walk past. It's not worth the risk these days. And I hate that I would do that.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I do think adults should be able to have more control over children for sure, such as teachers being able to discipline a child if they are naughty, as there is a huge lack of respect for them and for adults in general.

I have never thought of the 'P' word, I don't view men ( or even women) as being potential Paedophiles

unless I had reasons to, and I am of the school of though that if something is wrong, I will say so, as just because you helped a child, why on earth would you be classed as a paedophiles, especially if there is no evidence?

Same as that builder who did not take the child to a police station because he was worried about what people think, surely he could have just stood with the child until a female came alone or called the police on his mobile?

How many men honestly get convicted for being a paeophile when they are innocent and was just helping out?

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Personally, I think the lack of respect for adults

> by children is a by-product of the current

> hysteria about paedophiles. What we have done is

> prevented adults from pulling up badly behaved

> children on the basis that all they have to do is

> make a few crafted accusations and they will be,

> at least initially, believed. Kids know how

> powerful the p-word can be. Ask any teacher.

>

> Honestly, if I saw an incident involving children

> I would almost certainly walk past. It's not

> worth the risk these days. And I hate that I

> would do that.

[meadow408]

I am starting to be very concerned with the level of violence and criminal events in this area. I moved to ED a few months ago from another London's neighbourhood where I had previously been living for 3 years and nothing like these recent events seemed to had ever happened there. Ok maybe it's also because there wasn't a forum like this one reporting details etc but in the last weeks I've heard/read about a killing, a stabbing (in full day light!), a mugging at knife point, a group attack and I myself witnessed a lady being mugged in the street in front of Peckham Rye station by a guy on a bike and yesterday the same guy was going up and the down the same road probably looking for his next victim..

Now, at least in this instance the police must now who this guy is but clearly no one had a good chat with him since he doesn't seem to have changed his wrong ways. I really like this area, the parks and all the other amenities but since I'm a young woman I'm also quite sensitive to all these events and I feel my personal freedom very limited as I don't feel safe to walk on my own at dusk (not even the middle of the night!) or in some areas without having to be constantly on the watch out...

[????]

.......that's why.

[thebestnameshavegone]

Oh, for god's sake, not this 'it's getting worse' debate again.

You're amongst the safest people in London and amongst the most unlikely to be victims of crime, stop whining.

I love how the story's angle takes in the Olympics and the fact that he's a composer. It's paper shorthand for 'he's middle class', you see. Which makes it worse, obviously.

[KPinED]

When did ED get overrun with Daily Mail readers?

[KidKruger]

"How many men honestly get convicted for being a paeophile when they are innocent and was just helping out? "

Who cares how many men get convicted ?

What's of greater concert to these men would be the finger being pointed and the aggravation / reputational damage that causes, rather than fear of conviction (which will be minimal if they know they are innocent).

If you're cleared of any crime the rumours still perpetuate, "He's the bloke accused of molesting that little boy don't you know, mind out he's getting close to your Tristram..'.

[Loz]

Actually, HeidiHi, it's more that the police are pretty much compelled to investigate any such accusation, however obviously trumped up. As soon as they investigate, there is a documentation trail. As soon as there is a documentation trail you pop up on the (hopefully soon defunct) ISA 'rumours and gossip' database.

That then has potential to seriously affect both my personal life (sports coaching) and my career (security checks).

God forbid it would ever gets to the point where someone was actually arrested.

[Jeremy]

It's not getting worse, East Dulwich is still a relatively safe area (Peckham not so much).

Hip hop and video games are not as much of a problem as apathetic or absent parents.

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[mastershake]

i think you need to look a bit more closely at the news report. it's at the Brockwell Park end of Rosendale Road, which places this in West Norwood/Tulse Hill, pretty much - both rougher areas than East Dulwich.

That end of the road has always been dodgy, even when the Bon Bonne club was there and thus the place was a bit noisier. It's very quiet, between two railway bridges and with a row of shabby shops on one side and a large council building on the other, and it provides a lot of places to hide, at night. the police rarely bothered to sort out the groups who hung around there since the estate is pretty big at the back with a lot of places to disperse to.

i used to live on Rosendale Road and there's no way I'd walk up there from the 68 stop at 11.45 at night. this guy evidently lived some way up Rosendale - I'd always walk up Croxted then Turney, having got off the bus at Herne Hill (not perfect, but still). and even with that, a friend of mine was mugged in broad daylight on the road a while back.

i feel bad for the bloke all the same.

[TJ]

2 issues:

Boredom for the kids

Legal minefields for the police

[thebestnameshavegone]

Peckham is safe too, you can't move for bloody 30-something first time buyers / documentary crews

[PeckhamRose]

Nature (and, if you believe, God) doesn't pick the best people to be parents, clearly.

So I think we should be subject to a common sense and kindness test before being allowed to breed...

Just kidding. Or not - since I knew I would be an appalling parent!

[lucy123]

There is a thin line between respect/disrespect! Its all about COMMUNICATION. Adults, not all adults do tend to talk down to the kids and this is where the breakdown starts! When there stressed, the negativity projects onto the children! so WE HAVE TO LOOK HOW WE BEHAVE as this is why IT IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOUR! LISTEN to the children, dont think cause there children they dont know anything! They have feelings too! We as adults do tend to dismiss their feelings (which then causes frustatration, upset and then a bad communiocation between each other!)

We all know that it is against the law to "hit" children (which righly so...) but they know that the laws are too soft so they no longer fear anyone... even the police! Bordom is what cause them to get into gangs. Im not saying that parents also are to blame (as maybe they havent had any guidence!) but the higher authorities have to take action! for firmer rules, otherwise no-one will respect anyone! and that is something that is needed.

I think we cannot change attitudes until\people in higher places make a change!and we all learn to understand that we need to hear other peoples opionions and not OUR OWN! we are selfish deepdown and this is what is definately the cause of our problems that we have today!

[PeckhamRose]

Those parents were once the children who - in their time - commentators like us were rallying against.

[Medley]

As we're making generalisations, here's mine.

The kids who did this probably (not certainly, of course) come from backgrounds as that poor man's skull may be. They are making a play for themselves by the law of their jungle - to gain respect from their peers, maybe some cash from his wallet and his phone once they'd finished.

That in no way excuses what they did, which is vile.