I am frightened for my children

What kind of world do we live in where we feel fearful for our childrens future?

I am a mother of 2 boys. Luke and Jack. Luke, the oldest of the 2 is a confident, intelligent and a somewhat outwardly spoken boy. He has a great future as a negotiator! When i read the last sentence back to myself, i look at the words "great future" and what those words mean. From the inside, looking out at our country, i cant but help but wonder what dangers they will face to accomplish one.

Just why am i thinking this? Well it becomes apparrant when you look out on the street, watch the TV, read the papers. Children are just not children anymore. Children are something to fearful off. My boys are growing up in a world where teenage attacks, gangs, petty crime, and even murder are something not to be ashamed off. ASBOs are worn like a badge of honor and respect is something that is earned through violence. Children are becoming too proud, aware of the adult world and loosing their innocence.

I was confronted by a death threat towards my five year old Luke, not long ago, from one of his fellow peers. It was said which such furiousity and understanding, that I sincerly felt this child MEANT what he had said and put my concerns forward to the head. I was broached with, "well children will be children"!!!! When did our sons and daughters turn into evil little bundles, which are so readily accepted in todays society??????!!!

Why do i feel as though i cannot protect my boys from all of this? To be truthful, i cant, not without paying a high price at the least. So many parents step up to defend their homes and families and are faced with a charade of abuse from gangs of up to 30 children and its becomeing more apparant that these kids are williing to retaliate with force and violence.

I am in no way saying that all kids are like this, far from it. More than likely that there are just as many teenage crimes now, than a decade or 2 ago, but, they are no longer the same crimes. They are more extreme.

Our children have lost their way and are wandering confused without direction. What they see on the TV, in games and in music, is a stark conflict to many of the morals that we would teach them or like them to have. So much of the "under" world is available to them, through different sort of media and are now being percieved as "cool". Media isnt alone in the blame. Parents who are now made to feel ashamed for punishing the child, a goverment that has done little to late, cause and consiquece being of no concern, and a country that is to ready to accept this as the norm without a fight.

This is a pandemic. Iv always looked at this as other peoples problem. It has now hit home.

http://www.winsfordguardian.co.uk/di...o_kill_him.php

You're not alone on this. This is 100% the reason I was forced to move back home with my parents. Gangs of 20+ hanging around, even had an air rifle shot through my window. It's a nice enough area it's just I was directly behind the shops, they'd get drink from there, drink it behind the shops/my house and cause trouble. Probably ages anywhere from 11years to in their 20's all in teh same gang.

Having an almost 5 year old son (on new years!) myself I know only too well your worries. I feel it lies with the previous generation, the parents of these children but what went wrong I don't know as I was just a child myself and (thankfully) was raised with morals and respect. Having met some of the 'suspects' parents, I feel they are just as bad as their violent children and these children are ment to be are our future...

I am with you whole heartedly on this one.

I have 2 kids 9 and 11. I have brought them up to defend themselfs. I don't feel proud saying that but i felt i had to. It started when some children started bullying my son years ago and i physically tought my son (who was probable 7 at the time) how to punch and hurt.

This may seem awful to alot of people, the reason i have done this is because i firmly believe that bullies never ever start on someone who can defend themselfs. They always look for the easy target.

My children are also told that they never hit first and they always try to get help from adults but if in a sitauation where they have been hit they need to go back twice as hard.

A friend of mine child in year 6 was being bullied by several lads and one of them bought a knife into the class room and there was very little punishment by the school for this action.

Also as adults can we rely on the police anymore. I know i can't as on several occassions i have dialed 999 and it took 2 days for them to come out on the first occassion and 2 hours on the second. So i look after myself now.

agree totally with random, the trouble kids in my area always have even worse parents. Where did it all go wrong.

I know exactly how you feel. I have 3 boys and I worry all the time about what their futures will hold. There are times when I feel they are so much more immature than their peers but I am trying to give them a childhood.
I really don't know what the answer is, if there is one!
Lorna x