Antisocial Behaviour In The estate

Adrift

I know this type of thread comes up regularly and I've gone over old ones but I'm out of ideas so am looking for a fresh spin.


So, some antisocial behavior has crept in to our area of the estate. Largely other kids migrating to our area of the estate as it's at the back and they feel they are out of site and can get away with more. Nothing too unusual as bored kids in the 11-13 age bracket tend to get up to mischief. I'd no problem moving them on as did some of the other neighbors. However, things have taken a slightly sinister twist over the past few weeks, with the dark nights setting in groups have taken it upon themselves to come on to residents property to cause trouble. There are a lot of parents with young families in our area so it's becoming very stressful. Between us we've had damaged property, lads kicking front doors and running off and experiences where a gang of them will gather round a property to intimidate the inhabitants, litter, graffiti the list goes on and on.


Some of us have approached parents. Useless.


Some of us have gone out hard to frighten them away (Shouting roaring etc.) only to be reprimanded by said parents and accused of all sorts.


We're at a loss as to where to go from here. Can the Gardaí do anything in this scenario? Anything else worked for anybody?

handlemaster

Adrift wrote: »

I know this type of thread comes up regularly and I've gone over old ones but I'm out of ideas so am looking for a fresh spin.


So, some antisocial behavior has crept in to our area of the estate. Largely other kids migrating to our area of the estate as it's at the back and they feel they are out of site and can get away with more. Nothing too unusual as bored kids in the 11-13 age bracket tend to get up to mischief. I'd no problem moving them on as did some of the other neighbors. However, things have taken a slightly sinister twist over the past few weeks, with the dark nights setting in groups have taken it upon themselves to come on to residents property to cause trouble. There are a lot of parents with young families in our area so it's becoming very stressful. Between us we've had damaged property, lads kicking front doors and running off and experiences where a gang of them will gather round a property to intimidate the inhabitants, litter, graffiti the list goes on and on.


Some of us have approached parents. Useless.


Some of us have gone out hard to frighten them away (Shouting roaring etc.) only to be reprimanded by said parents and accused of all sorts.


We're at a loss as to where to go from here. Can the Gardaí do anything in this scenario? Anything else worked for anybody?

Do you have a security light on your property ?

BailMeOut

Is your estate in Dublin? I would, and encourage your neighbours to keep calling the guards when it happens. The guards can at least do drive by's each day if you call or meet with them.

Butters1979

Call the Gardaí whenever they harass anyone, it's breaking the law. If the parents won't deal with their own kids they are just as bad, don't back down from them. They are the root cause of this.

Also, very controversial and it may just be pushing the problem elsewhere but....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mosquito

The problem is this will also distress other young kids, so it probably isn't a long term solution.

alias no.9

They crave seclusion, don't give it to them.

You and your neighbours need to spend more time out front doing incidental stuff. Coming, going, chatting, putting bins out, having a cuppa on the doorstep (if there's semi-D's, are the doors on the party wall side or gable side? On the party wall side, it's ideal for coming to the front door with a cuppa or a smoke foe a chat and being present to spoil the seclusion.

Adrift

First of all thanks for all the suggestions lads.




"Do you have a security light on your property ? "


Yeah, doesn't seem to deter.


"Is your estate in Dublin? I would, and encourage your neighbours to keep calling the guards when it happens. The guards can at least do drive by's each day if you call or meet with them. "


We're not in Dublin, the Garda seem to be good here though, I wasn't aware they'd be up for something like that so might touch base and see tonight.


Yeah, did consider the mosquito but with younger children around including our own thought it is not the best idea.


"You and your neighbours need to spend more time out front doing incidental stuff. Coming, going, chatting, putting bins out, having a cuppa on the doorstep (if there's semi-D's, are the doors on the party wall side or gable side? On the party wall side, it's ideal for coming to the front door with a cuppa or a smoke foe a chat and being present to spoil the seclusion. "


Normally that's the case but as we're into the rough stuff weather wise everyone has gone into hibernation. It's largely open plan here and I have to say we loved it like that until recently so the lack of walls between properties are a blessing and a curse (I'm talking front lawn here only, back gardens are walled).


I realize they may tire of it soon and move on to something new but I'm not really prepared to allow them to do so until then.

bigpink

CCTV

Mrs OBumble

Are there other pro-social activities in the neighbourhood to keep the kids busy?

Do you know their names and chat to them when you get the chance? (the won't want to be your friend, if they think there's a chance you might start talking to them, they're likely to go elsewhere.)

FortySeven

Just stand outside your front door and watch them, make sure they know you are watching, stare right at them, do not rise to any verbals. Just stand and stare, they will become uncomfortable and will start acting the fool at first, then they start to feel foolish due to the lack of response, then they move on.

CCTV is also good but can't beat the non responding staring.

Adrift

There's loads of activities within the estate and in the locality they could involve themselves with. We've an active Residents committee too and as I say, this behavior is a bit of a surprise, we went for years without anything like this. I guess the bulk of the kids are of certain age now.


I know some names, but most of them are from other parts of the estate so it's hard to get names sometimes. We started with the easy option, you know - talking, reasoning letting them know politely that their behavior is intrusive or waking young children etc but that seemed to spur them on.


As I say someone went out all guns blazing the other week, frightened them all off only to be reprimanded by one of the youngsters parents. Apparently she doesn't like little Johnny or whoever being cursed at.

conorhal

alias no.9 wrote: »

They crave seclusion, don't give it to them.

You and your neighbours need to spend more time out front doing incidental stuff. Coming, going, chatting, putting bins out, having a cuppa on the doorstep (if there's semi-D's, are the doors on the party wall side or gable side? On the party wall side, it's ideal for coming to the front door with a cuppa or a smoke foe a chat and being present to spoil the seclusion.

What you're talking about is a good old fashioned neighbourhood watch. Perhaps the OP could liase with the Guards about forming one, visibility and challenging anti-social behaviour is key, so a neighbourhood watch patrol backed by the Guards would send the explicit message to this group to jogg off.

slogging...it

When the parents come to give out, let them know they are wasting there time. That you will run little johny everytime he comes near your house, and if they have a problem they should put manners on there child.

Adrift

Nice suggestion, thanks mate!

FortySeven

You do need to act though Adrift, they might be trouble now but wait till they are 15-16 and discover drink and drugs. Make sure you have the ground rules firmly in place before then.

Adrift

Yeah, I backed that particular neighbor. Thought he did the right thing, went out and squared to the ring leader and they all went running. Unfortunately their parents didn't appreciate that and it feels like things have swung back into the kids favor, like clockwork the front door was booted around 7pm last night.

Leilak

go around to where they live at 1 am and blast a loud radio full volume outside their houses maybe kick their doors see how they like it......

Kimbot

The guards would actually like to nip this in the bud before they get up to worse and start destroying local schools etc

slogging...it

Adrift wrote: »

Yeah, I backed that particular neighbor. Thought he did the right thing, went out and squared to the ring leader and they all went running. Unfortunately their parents didn't appreciate that and it feels like things have swung back into the kids favor, like clockwork the front door was booted around 7pm last night.

Leave the door slighty ajar hell fall in plus when it frezzes put water on the corners of the footpaths. Id go out to them again when the parents come tell them you have it all on CCtv and if it doesnt stop they will all be done for harrasment and trepass. If you let them get away with this now imagine when they start drinking.

allibastor

Buy and airsoft and shot in the legs.

Little pr1cks

Mrs OBumble

Adrift wrote: »

There's loads of activities within the estate and in the locality they could involve themselves with. We've an active Residents committee too and as I say, this behavior is a bit of a surprise, we went for years without anything like this. I guess the bulk of the kids are of certain age now.

I know some names, but most of them are from other parts of the estate so it's hard to get names sometimes. We started with the easy option, you know - talking, reasoning letting them know politely that their behavior is intrusive or waking young children etc but that seemed to spur them on.

That's a good start. Try talking to them about pretty much anything else but their behaviour - basically you want them to not want to hang around your area because you know too much about them.

Some of the suggestions people are giving on here will pretty much guarantee that the estate becomes something of a warzone: while it might make you feel satistified to zip the little so-and-sos with airsoft or whatever, it's likely to just escalate their behaviour as they get older the hormones / drink kick in. If you're at the back of the estate, then as your own children get older they will have to walk past these other kids houses to go places, and they will pay if there's war going on.

Definitely contact the community garda - they may know more than you think about the area, and are likely to have some contacts that might deflect the problem. Also you want them on your side if little Johnny's parents go crying to them about the horrible bullies who tell Johnny to f** off.

Also ask the council / management company for better public lighting. And if there are bushes etc that provide places to hide, see if they can be cut back.


(Tedious though it is, think of this as practice for when the you own kids get to the same certain age and decide to try whatever sy*te they decide to try.)

Osaur

There really isnt any solution to this. The more you rise to them the more fun they will have.
Unfortunately the Gardas are the only ones with the authority to act but can do feck all themselves.
In the old days you would be within your rights to go out and threaten or hurt them. Now there is no consequence for antisocial behavior so there is no deterrent.

Superhorse

We had something similar around here and one guy took out his hose turned on the water and soaked them all. Told them to run along to their parents and tell them to knock down if they wanted a wash also but he wasn't supplying the soap. That was that no more kids they moved on to the outside of someone else's houses.

Not everyone is that ballsy though and of course there are other routes to go down that dont include the justice system.