Gobby teenagers!

NeilWhiteley said

mph said

There’s one thing for sure - they are stabbing more people than they used to...

I'm not sure that's true though.

How do we know? I would imagine that in Victorian London (and before, and elsewhere) stabbings would have been common, but I am only imagining as we don't actually know. Same goes for other periods in history, including the latter parts of the last century.

We only know about now because everything is logged and reported. It wasn't always so.

Edited by NeilWhiteley

Edited by NeilWhiteley

Agreed.  There may be more knife crime in London than in the very recent past but it is not hugely increased elsewhere.  

But it has been a regular situation in a Glasgow for as long as I can remember.  To the point where Glasgow hospitals are leading the world in saving stabbed individuals - like Belfast docs are in treating the bombed and kneecapped. It is Glasgow that came up with the much vaunted 'Public Health' approach to solving the issue - with some success.  And this all goes back to the razor gangs (Peaky Blinders anyone?) of the 20s & 30s and earlier.  Read 'No Mean City' for a riveting account of knife crime in Glasgow.

Razor gangs were a nationwide phenomenon for decades.  My grandfather (in Sheffield) was in one before WW1.  He was caught - the police just ringed off a 'battle' and arrested the wounded until it was finished.  At 15 he was offered prison or a choice of the armed forces.  He chose the Royal Navy and never looked back.

Eventually government focus was brought to bear on the issue.  A policeman (he'd be  a Czar today) called (I think) Percy Sillitoe was brought in with a brief to do everything necessary to fix the problem - he succeeded.  But my guess us WW11 had a lot to do with the 'final solution'.

Edited by Carlos

I witnessed a scene today at a local Secondary school (I was there to pick up my boy from a taster session with the school)

Young boy about 14, Quiet, Polite, moved his bag so I could sit down, wasn't saying boo to a goose.. then the receptionist handed her phone to him to talk to different parents about who was picking him up for his Dentist appointment.

His temperament immediately changed when he was repeatedly told that no one was coming, he was to walk an hour in the unbearable heat for his appointment.

The rejection from his parents caused a meltdown, doors slamming, whining etc

Imagine the difference if one of his parents cared enough to actually be his parent and come take him to where he needed to be. I bet he would still be the Quiet and Polite kid I met.

Dr Stairway

Well Dr Stairway maybe you'd like to come into school for a term or two and show us how to do it. You seem to have a strong opinion on what's wrong: you can come and sort it out.

PS

Stairway: do you write for the daily mail or just read it?

My life is working with challenging people. People will react to what you give them to react to. Staying calm, being in control and treating people without hostility is the key.

Some people don’t know how to talk without an attitude at first as they have always had to be on the defensive. Mirroring is psych 101. Display behaviours you want to see