The report of youths running wild in Broughty Ferry at the weekend is one example too many.
It’s time something was done. But that “something” must be effective.
Youth bad behaviour is nothing new, of course. Growing up, we all knew bad boys.
The Fleet, Shams, Beechy Mob – were you ever on a 1970s Shed or Derry away day to dance with the notorious Section B in Airdrie?
These activities then, as now, took the form of a series of steps. Each piece of bad behaviour formed a platform for someone else to take another step and do something even more mental.
That’s what happens in these street incidents.
Society was outraged then, just as it is outraged by violence, threats and destruction of property today.
But one thing greatly changed: the response.
Bovver boys in the 1970s were dealt with by effective counter-measures. Force was met with force.
That was also how ’60s skins were treated. And casuals in the ’80s. And No Mean City razor gangs between the wars.
The authorities said: “not acceptable”, and backed that with firm action.
Am I being regressive instead of progressive? Maybe. But I’ll play my trump card here: it worked.
The threat of stringent punishment gave even the worst thugs pause for thought.
Bleeding heart proposal has failed
That’s not a theory, or a think tank’s proposal “to be rolled out for a trial period”. I saw it proved.
Can it be done today, though? Do we, collectively, have the strength of will?
Debatable, but something needs done because the experiment of a bleeding heart approach has clearly failed.
Teens crack jokes among themselves about the hand-wringers who pamper them with excuses. Youth clubs, arts projects, and culturally significant drama productions are never going to work for some laddies.
Dundee City Council is spending half a million quid repairing bus shelters. Forget it, they’ll just be vandalised again.
The money would be better spent on recruiting streetwise coppers, with powers to confront not just contain.
Free buses for under-22s should be cancelled after 6pm. It’s just a licence to take trouble on tour.
Youths need the shock of real punishment
Yes, it might hurt nice kids expanding their minds by visiting museums. But nice kids don’t want to be trapped in mobile gang huts with thugs looking for victims to spit their anger at.
Youths caught and convicted should face a shock: a real punishment.
I’m not saying this as any sort of right-wing fuddy-duddy, I’m speaking from a stance of working-class decency.
Discipline is learned through experience.
If kids are not brought up with discipline at home and not encountering it at school, they should definitely learn it when they have effectively rioted in a city street.
The only effective antidote to bad behaviour is consequence. There is no antidote if there are no consequences.
Perhaps you disagree? Fair enough. But it is then beholden upon you to suggest a viable alternative.
Or prove to me that the “oh you poor deprived victim” method is an effective antidote, because I’m not seeing it.
And Broughty Ferry residents didn’t see it on Sunday evening.
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