Teenagers: Are they all a problem then?

In my area of work I speak to many elderly folk about a wide variety of subjects, and one of those subjects is often about the youth of today. One of the commonest comments is that they feel threatened by groups of teenagers. Sometimes I will be told of particular instances where an individual has been rude or perhaps shown disrespect towards someone. We have read in the Press lately about the horrific cases of violent and abusive behaviour by gangs of teenage thugs whoo have terrorised people so violently that death has ensued. Currently an 18-year old gang member is on remand charged with causing the deaths of two elderly disabled pensioners by setting fire their property.

The resultant picture for many people is a fearful one, and teenagers are perceived to be all cut from the same cloth as these violent yobs. Thankfully, that image is far from the truth.

Consider this example. One close friend of mine who is 80 years old and badly disabled, often makes the trip on his mobility scooter to the supermarket. On the way he regularly passes groups of young people walking towards him. As he approaches them they part for him to drive through and he acknowledges their action with a cheerful 'thank you.' Never once has he met with anything other than friendly politeness, and he cannot speak highly enough of the young teenagers whom he meets. I'm certain that this is a far more general image than many would have us believe.

Yes, there are far too many violent yobs in our society, largely, I believe, because the law is far too soft on them. Because we live in a society which is ruled by the Political Correctness Brigade, too much time is spent on form-filling for the forces of law and order to function as they should. All too often criminality and yobbish behaviour is dealt with far too leniently, if at all. The passage towards believing that you can rehabilitate violent bullies by sending them on safari-style holidays and telling them that it is understood that their behaviour is the fault of anybody or anything other than themselves.

If only respect was more prevalent in our society today! Of course, in order for people to be respected then they need to show respect for others, and it is the responsibility of adults to demonstrate that to the younger members of society. In the instance that I quoted above, my friend shows respect for the young people and they for him, with the result that all parties concerned are better off for it.

What a pity we don't hear far more about the youngsters in our society who are a shining example to everyone, for if we did then much of the fear that older people experience would prove to be unfounded.

Let us make an effort to report on the huge pool of good reports that are out there. I invite you to share some of them that you know of through the comments section of my Blog.