teenagers

[milkybarkid]

hey i was wondering about the media portrayal of teenagers. i'm one myself and think everyone seems to be scared of us. i just read about some rule that if you're 16 or over you can be arrested on halloween. i duno about you but halloween is a day to dress up and have fun. i don't like the idea of being arrested because i'm in a costume. if anything, it's ageist and prejudiced. i'm not going to hurt anyone trick or treating with my mates. dressed up as fairies and pirates would you think we looked threatening? i find that people tend to generalise all teenagers as people who deserve asbo's and it's unfair. i know the type, and have myself been beaten up by some of them, and i think it's a bit insulting to be associated with them. most teenagers aren't going to steal your phone or swear at strangers on the bus. i just want to have a laugh with my friends. if someone doesn't give us candy we're not going to trick them or anything. if i turned up with 5 of my friends dressed up at your door would you feel threatened? any input appreciated

[B00]

Short answer? Sorry if it offends but yes I would feel intimidated.

I dont wish to be rude....but as a 16 (or older) teen what on earth do you want sweets for? If you knocked on my door I would assume that you were wanting money and not sweets.

[Loosehead]

It's not that we are afraid, it's just that we are the ones that get arrested when trying to defend ourselves against yobbery. Effectivlely we have no defence because years of do gooding liberalisation have given you all your rights but no one seems to have tought you that with rights come responsibilities. In the case of trick or treat, fine if you want to walk around looking like a tw@t , what becomes annoying is when you throw eggs at our front window because we don't have or don't give out a suitable "treat". You won't be arrested for being in costume, you'll be arrested for asbo type behaviour. If 5 16 year olds turned up at my door I probably wouldn't personally feel threatened but I can see how some people, especially pensioners would. Also, can you really say if they refused to give you a "treat" you'd go quietly away? You personally may and may have good intentions, but when you are in a gang then gang mentality overrides.

[VINNY100_2]

No of course not Milkybarkid.
I have a teenage daughter,and she often brings round her mates at weekends before they go clubbing.Boys and girls,and there a great bunch.All my sons mates were brill to(he's at uni now)The thugs in this town are a minority and we all know who they are.I know a lot of blokes in this town who play skittles,and someone's son was punched in the mouth for no reason,when he was confronted by a dozen skittlers along the seafront, his legs went to jelly.They dont call the police round here,its sorted by the locals.He had a headache fer a few days.I guess it must be different in big towns.Nope I wouldnt mind if you knocked on my door,but try to avoid the folk who live by themselfs.especially older people.It can and is a frightening experience for some people.enjoy your night out...(:o)

[saxy_jag]

Unfortunately there are people your age who perceive 'harmless fun' as being something a little more offensive than running around the streets in fancy dress and knocking on people's doors and asking for a few sweets. These are the ones people remember and who spoil it for the rest of you. They are the ones who, a few years ago, vandalised my hard-earned car, smashing the number plate, using a shard of it to gouge a deep scrawl on the bonnet and then wrecking the door lock with a screwdriver - and that was before they covered it in spray paint.

If you turned up at my door with five of your friends, I wouldn't feel threatened because a) I tend to like - and get along with - teenagers, b) I have a very protective dog who would have you back up that garden path before you could say "tr_", and c) I keep a water pistol handy in order to play my own tricks.

But to many adults, and especially the older generation, the trick or treat custom is one with which they are not at all familiar. It didn't exist when they and their kids were your age. Now they're older, they're out of touch and they don't understand these things, even though it's something we, as a society, are familiar with. They went to Hallowe'en parties, dunked for apples and told a few ghost stories and that was the extent of their fun. To have a small group of teenagers turn up on your doorstep saying, "give us some sweets or we'll play a trick on you" can be very frightening when you're 70-odd and you know that if you fell over, you couldn't get up again.

(contd)

[saxy_jag]

(contd)

What tends to happen in the USA is that kids will go to pre-arranged addresses - friends, family etc. The people they call on know they're going and will arrange something special for them in the way of treats, and it's all very friendly.

I would say go out in your costumes if you wish, but don't get over-excited and start doing things like shoving one another into hedges, lobbing eggs around and generally behaving like young yobbos. For your own safety, don't approach people you don't know or aren't sure of (bloke that used to live near us ran after some kids with a shotgun on one occasion - it was imitation, but the kids didn't know that) and try to only go to houses where you are known and probably welcome.

Have fun by all means, but don't make it hell for others. By the way, coppers don't actually like arresting kids, because of all the paperwork and red-tape when they get them back to the station, so you'd be making their lives a little sweeter too - might be more inclined to help you next time you need them.

[NH]

The media always pick up on special cases; and for some reason this always get blown out of proportion. It then becomes a stereotype of particular people.

Youth culture is always a good thing for the media to pick on, because it always throws up stuff the older generation can't understand- Mods, Rockers, Hippies, Punks, Ravers, and now Hoodies. I always find it ironic that people who used to smoke spliffs and drop acid are now surprised and threatened at binge drinking teenagers today.

Anyway, around my area the answer would be no. Though you might be thought of as too old; it'd be better to take your younger brother/sister with you.

[newtron]

I wouldn't feel threatened. I might tease you a little for being a little older than the average trick or treater, but I would still give you some candy.

[dyli795]

I think you're a wrinkly trying to send us up

[milkybarkid]

thanks for the input.
not quite dyli795!!
boo - i didn't even want the sweets all that much (it's just an added bonus!) it's just fun to dress up and hang out with your friends.
a lot of people either refused us treats or didn't ome to the door, and we just moved on. we aren't all yobs.
it's not like we were terrorising people, we just walked about then watched a movie. why is it so intimidating if a bunch of 16 year old devils and fairies turn up at your door? i saw a lot worse on the bus on the way home.

[naz_nomad]

I'd tend to agree with dyli795 on this one

[curiosity]

Well I fight your battle milkybarkid even though I'm 42! And one Christmas years ago some teenagers did turn up at my door "Carol singing" They were very polite, and non threatening as they pogoed up and down singing in Punk style " we wish you a merry Christmas" The best ever. They got money and on Halloween had they come they would have got the bags of sweets I had ready (milky bar buttons!)

[robotics]

All I can say, I would hate to be a teenager in the society that we are now living.

People are to quick to forget what they did as teenagers.

Well said saxy-jag.

joanne

[LeMarchand]

I can't abide trick-or-treating. It's a bad idea for those doing it (puts them at risk from wierdos) and annoying for those that want a quiet night and not to be disturbed by beggars/stupid American ideas/people who are pretty much "demanding money with menaces".

The "pre-arranged homes" idea seems sensible, though (unlike my neighbour, maybe give more than 10 minutes notice) or (as a colleague does with her kids) only go to "Halloweened-up" houses.

As for carol singers...

[DavidUK]

If you wonder why people are wary of teenagers have a look at this thread: http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Cul ture/Question309072.html

I agree with LeMarchand. This is a diabolical American import and I hate it. What an invitation it is for a minority of yobs to go around causing trouble while wearing masks.

What's the point of it? Do we really want to encourage our kids to think that it's OK to go around begging for sweets and threatening people with reprisals if they don't give them?

[tyler06]

The 14/16 year olds who knocked my door the last 3 nights did not bother to dress up.they one on sunday pulled his hood over his face.and said trick or treat? Isaid p**s off thinking .it was my 21year old sons mate messing about.They won't come tonight will they?

[DavidUK]

On the news last night they said that Haloween night is the busiest night of the year for the Police. So it can't be that harmless can it?

[milkybarkid]

daviduk don't be so miserable.