Hi,
Why specifically and what would you do to reverse this?
FWIW, this new ABC thing is a giant joke on the whole of Britain! If anyone thinks this is really going to lower crime at all, needs their head examining.
Okay, with that said and done, the reason Britain gets "ghettoised" areas, i.e. places, locales, estates etc that are predominantly white, asian, black or whatever, is in my opinion for two main issues:
- what starts out as a racially-diverse, or at least non-predominant area, becomes ghettoised because councils decide that any new tenants of the same skin colour/racial background/whatever should be placed. These areas then start to have specific facilities located in or near them, e.g. shops, religious buildings, etc. More people from the same ethnic background are placed there by councils, and sooner or later, you find that one particular religion or race of people is the predominant factor.
- people don't want to move into racially-diverse areas any more, as they'd rather be with people similar to themselves. Now, this can be in the form os same race, same ethnicity, skin colour, or in more simple terms, people of the same class, background, fashion or financial status.
Hence, you get pockets of people all of the same kind, in one area, and those pockets grow and spread out, until they become ghettos, just as has happened in the USA.
With so many people in council housing of one kind or another, they have little say in where they would like to be located, and end-up being placed where there are people of a similar background to them, irrespective of whether the new people have anything remotely in common with the current existing tenants/house-owners.
The only way we can cure this, is by a) mixing-up people, so we try not to form large ghettoised areas, and b) educating children from as young an age as possible, that all people are different, and you need to accept those differences, even if you don't like them. It's ultimately about tolerance.
It's not easy to tolerate something or someone, but it's better to be tolerant than to be an outright bigot, and hate anyone who is remotely different from you. This includes things like the joining of gangs, etc, whereby kids are made to feel bad or wrong, simply because they don't conform to the status quo of the area, or of society, or of the gang's requirements (whatever they may be).
Embracing difference is the key here.
As for tackling crime, the simple answer is more police on the streets, and police who aren't tied down with petty bureaucracy and paperwork. Officers who can actually deal with situations reasonably, but on a case-by-case basis, as they see fit. With more police on the streets (and not in cars) I think the fear of being caught doing something stupid or unlawful, might deter more criminals, and certainly more youths from doing dumb things. Because, most of the time, youths (that is under-15's) aren't actually out committing crimes, but simply doing dumb, stupid things, that really shouldn't require the full-weight of the law to be dealt with. Kids drinking alcohol underage is bad, but the taking away of that alcohol, as well as reporting their acts to the parents, should normally sort things out. Putting through the court system, or through the police, only to end up being told "Don't do it again, or you'll get an ABC or ASBO" is wasting everyones time, and is no real deterrent. But with more police being visible, people are more likely to feel that they won't or couldn't get away with performing stupid or criminal acts, and would more than likely not resort to them.
It's too easy to commit any crime nowadays, and get away with it!
Just look at today's papers: a child-molesting pervert gets a proverbial slap on the wrist, despite plenty of evidence that shows him to be a sick and despicable monster who needs locking-up for the safety of everyone around him! Nine kids have been gunned down in 2007 alone, with another 10-12 of them being stabbed or assaulted, since January 1st! Some countries don't have that much youth crime, in an entire century!
Lastly, we need to look at not what crimes are being committed by youths, but why they feel that crime is the only valid option open to them. Most under-18's commit crimes, because of a few simple reasons:
- they're actually poor and living under or on the poverty-line (in one way or another)
- they're bored, and have no access to areas in their locale where they can safely kick a ball, run around or whatever, without being moaned at
- they're constantly told by society, and made to feel, insignificant and worthless (Just look at the GCSE results from yesterday. More children passed at A* than before, and what do we all do as adults? Why, we tell our kids that the exams are getting easier, and that they haven't really earned anything to be pleased about!" Well, how crap is that, to hear such words being told to you, after all your hard work?!)
- crime is an easier solution, than actually working or earning whatever it is a young person wants/needs (be that money, valuable items like a console, mobile phone or whatever, or attention, love and some respect)
- they want and need (and possibly deserve) some attention from their families and society as a whole
If we can solve some or any of those, youth crime should (in theory) decrease.
Something proper needs to be done, or the public will start becoming vigilantes, and understandably so (even if such action is not morally or lawfully appropriate).
Pooch
(Stepping down off of his soapbox.
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