Harrassed by kids

LegacyUser

No need to mention cities or area names, it'd go offtopic.
Well the area I rent isn't exactly reputable and has a name for being rough.

I'm renting there a while and locked into a lease so can't move without losing a deposit.

I don't drive but I do walk up the shops regularly to get different things.
The local teenagers have taken some unliking to me, can't say why, I'm not from the area and don't even know their names.

Last night a gang of five or so saw me walk past and waited until I was 20 metres up the road and two beer bottles went flying past me.
One of them in your head and it's stiches for sure.

They shine some laser pointer at me, it's annoying and if I did drive it could cause crashes.
They also stand behind a fence in a park which gets locked at night. Throw bottles but I can't reach them, they have a fence there. Eggs fired at me too

Cowards! Wouldn't say a word to my face but fire glass bottles when I can't see them or can't get to them. And always in a gang, nobody says a word to me on their own.

I can't say if it's only me it happens to, I don't see anyone else targeted. And sometimes if there an elderly local around while I'm walking they do nothing.

I report them the local station and the squad car arrives, takes their names and moves them on. Gardai are great but same thing happens the next night or so.

Now for the worst part, I'm a lad in my twenties. Yeah, I'm pretty weak and I can't fight a gang of five on my own and realy, it'd be me charged with assualt if I did anything, so I'm not going there.
I suppose to see me walking I'm not that confident, maybe I look an easy target?

But I'm supposed to be an independent guy in my late 20's and I'm getting hassled by kids? The shame.
I'm nearly wary and second guessing before I go to the shops now. And almost think my mates would laugh at me if I told them, so posting here

I can't afford to lose a deposit at the current time so moving isn't much of an option I think.

Thinking about it I really do think I don't walk confidentaly, maybe appear timid whereas the kids won't try it on others who walk tall and with confidence.
All the same, did I bring this on myself?

Mr. Loverman

You didn't bring this on yourself, but you are correct in saying they have picked you as a target. All attackers (muggers, rapists, etc.) pick their targets. If you look like you might be hassle they will tend to leave you alone.

But I think it's too late to walk confidently/with a snarl. They are already in control.

I think you need to talk to your landlord about the situation and tell him you are going to need to move out as you are being harrassed and attacked by your neighbours. You will probably lose your deposit (it's unlikely he will force you to pay the remaining rent) but the loss of a few hundred quid is worth it for peace of mind and your safety.

Going forward (after you've moved) it would be no harm to maybe bulk up a bit and try to walk with a bit more confidence.

CDfm

your landlord may have another property you can move to so is worth talking to

also - teenagers are adults and you need to make a complaint to the guards and drinking in the open and getting monitored by guards do not make for a good night out for them

is there a neighbourhood watch in the area

it cannot be good for the shopkeepers in the area either

Zen65

harrassed wrote: »

I suppose to see me walking I'm not that confident, maybe I look an easy target?
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Thinking about it I really do think I don't walk confidentaly, maybe appear timid whereas the kids won't try it on others who walk tall and with confidence.
All the same, did I bring this on myself?

You did not bring it on yourself, but you may be able to reduce the problem by taking up a martial art and using that to gain confidence in yourself physically.

Cheers,

Z

darad

This happens near where I live too, sadly its what they do. If its any consolation to you I doubt if they just do it to you, I think anyone is a likely target when they are off their chops and in a gang. All you can do it move.

jessiejam

Bored teenagers op, the bain of our lives!

Best thing to do is ignore it if you can, the worst thing you can do is react. They will only get worse. They're looking for a reaction from you and as you said yourself you can't take on 5 of them. If you continue to ignore them, they will eventually get bored and move on to someone else.

I would keep reporting it all to the Guards though, its no harm in keeping them up to date with the situation. Little jumped up pr1cks aren't they, oh so brave when they are in a gang. Its probably nothing personal at all, just cowards pretending to be mad in front of their idiot friends.

Is there another route you could take, so you wouldn't have to pass them on a daily basis?

I would agree about speaking to your landlord. Tell him you are afraid that they are going to get more abusive and you don't want them putting his windows in or worse!

I'm sure if he has another property he will try his best to move you out of there.

Good luck OP, and don't worry when they all end up in prison, they'll meet their match, then they'll know what its like to be really bullied:eek:

Karma and all that

fungun

if you bring it up in the right way with your landlord, say that they throw things at you and you are afraid that they might start damaging the property....well i think if i was the landlord id prob give you your deposit back.
depends if he is the decent sort or not

LegacyUser

OP here and so it gets worse

Standing in the chip shop and the little fookers banging on the window, waving at me.
Yeah I ignored them, I always ignore them.

Then they come inside, basically laugh in my face "how are you buddy"

I walk home and get a stone fired at me from about 10 metres away.
Yeah, I lost it, "are you looking to start something?" and made a run at them and they scattered
Walked home and heard them intimidate what I said in stupid voices.
Well when I say gang, there is one lad with a mouth and the rest are just sheep, following him around.

Seriously, I'm a 29 year old man and a gang of 4 or 5 kids aged around 13-15 laugh in my face.

Something wrong me I reckon
"Pick on me" on my forehead

Thank you all for advice given, am trying to get hold of the landlord, he'll probably snigger if I told him this situation.