terrorised by group of youths - advice

Faust · 09-01-2004 08:03PM

I like the dog idea! But you should get motion sensor lights. So that whenever they come near the house the light will turn on. It would freak them out i suppose as they would be exposed. Oh and make sure it is covered with a metal grating in case they try to break it!

Dr Pepper · 09-01-2004 08:09PM

Originally posted by Tommy Vercetti
I think it's pretty obvious she doesn't want to go down the vigilante/violent route, so there's no point in saying "get a van etc.". Talk to your local TD's and councillors, some of them can be extremely helpful in these situations.

Couldn't have put it better myself! Contrary to what your avatar and gangster name suggest, you seem to have a very peaceful nature and a healthy respect for authority :dunno:

mike65 · 09-01-2004 08:27PM

Tricky issue, first off you have to decide what you want to do then do it. I'd start with as susgested visual evidence a picture being worth a few dozen phone calls to the cops. Record every incident you are aware of in a notebook

date - time - type of attack - discription of youth/s

Video tape as much as you can without being obvious -
behind net curtains into a pool of light should be good enough (buy a security light if nessesary).

When you have amassed the evidence you have to decide if you want to go straight to the Garda or approach the parents if you know where they live. Not all parents are aware thier kids are "scrotes" outside the house. They may be appalled and help you.

If others are being attacked talk to them and make it clear you want to take action as a colective if at all possible.

Mike.

luckat · 09-01-2004 08:53PM

By the way, have you talked to the people who had the house before you? Did they have the same problem?

Pink Bunny · 09-01-2004 08:58PM

I'm so sorry to hear about your problems. I like the video idea as well.
I was just wondering.......you say they are a group of 13-16 year old boys, right? They are out to impress each other. But who do boys that age try even harder to impress? Never underestimate the power of a pretty girl. Are there any nieces or daughters of friends that you might invite over from time to time to be seen walking into the house? It sounds silly, but a friend of my father's had trouble like that when I was in school and a couple of girls and I would put our short skirts on and head over to his house once in a while, make sure we were seen by the trouble makers, give them a bit of a smile and walk in the house. They didn't know when we would be around and for whatever reason the trouble stopped.
It's worth a try at least.

luckat · 09-01-2004 09:35PM

Good thinking, bunny!

I've been thinking about this, wondering what you could do. Some thoughts: yes, I think taking a video is a good idea.

Then I'd contact the local TDs and councillors and show them the video. Get one or more of them to set up a meeting with the parents of the kids involved, and maybe also with a "community garda" if there is such a thing locally - or maybe not; the kids may have had bad experiences with gardai (cf the programme about shameful garda violence).

You might also bring a solicitor with you too - preferably one who's used to dealing with kids in trouble, and so speaks the language. And you might also bring the council's housing representative, to put it on record that you've tried to handle this through the parents.

I'd approach the parents in a non-confrontational way. If someone came and told me that my son/s was or were behaving like this, I'd instantly go on the defensive, afraid of what might happen to them.

The parents don't want their kids to grow up wrecking other people's houses, most likely, so they will also be shocked by the video when you show it to them.

At this stage you have to play it by ear. If the parents get snarly, then the solicitor might come into play.

But if they show any sign of wanting to help, maybe you could talk to them, and to the political representative, about what's available for kids in the area.

The parents might think it's a good idea to try and separate the kids from each other - of course, every parent will think that some other kid is the ringleader, not their own little darling. (I speak as a parent here!)

The term I'd use most with the parents is *good manners*. This is something that almost everyone values, and hopes for in their children.

If the parents do want to help - and are capable of helping, which isn't always the case when things have got tough in the family and kids have gone out of control - maybe you might talk through the anti-outsider view their kids have of you, and about how to get around this.

Of course, all this will only be a start. The kids have already got lots of much-craved attention from this, and they may see more egg-throwing, name-calling and intimidation as the way to get more attention. So it's going to take a while before you can expect them to behave towards you with good manners.

What you want is:

1) to have a slight lámh láidir - you have the videotape, and copies of it have gone to the parents, the solicitor and the political representatives

2) to have the parents wanting their kids to behave in a more socially successful way

3) to give the kids something more interesting to do; at the moment tormenting you is their main form of entertainment

The ideal would be if the kids got involved in some healthier activity, like a local football club; this might take a while, though.

I hope that all of our suggestions are some help to you in this tough trial.

What part of the country are you in?

quank · 09-01-2004 10:15PM

HOLY CRUDNUCKET!
so many replies in a day....

i didnt read them all, so apoligies if i am repeating

my solutions would be to, as many have said, beat the fcuk out of the leader/most illuminous/tallest/most amount of facial hair or whatever

i had a little event at school break time around a month ago
we and my friends hang around a certain part of a corridor and while we were just talking and stuff, and bunch(around 4 of them) of juniors (JC students) skangers came up to us and were asking my friends brother (also a JC student) which of my friends was his brother, and then they were just annoying us basically (saying stupid things, pushing each other in to us, laughing at our faces for no reason etc.)

So then, i tell one of my friends, to push me into them
He does so
and i hit into the tallest of them (still smaller than me)
and then he was doing the aul skanger tradition of tilting your head forward at an angle and walking towards me while pushing me saying "ye startin'???"
i was just smiling and said "no man, calm down"
then one of my mates did the same as i did, he pushed into him
then he was startin' on bout of us and my friend is pretty big
so anyway, my mate was smiling aswell and he gestured with his hands that he didnt want to fight or anything
the little skanger pushed my mates hand and it hit me on my eye
thats when the little shít thought it was funny, and he started to run away
and before he went i grabbed him and just beat the crapage outta him

after that, when ever i see him in school he stares at the ground

well anyway, the moral of the story is.... get the skanger that seems to be controling the group and beat the fcuk out of him
it works, trust me
or if it doesnt i dunno :rolleyes:

hope the situation improves (Y)

luckat · 09-01-2004 10:20PM

Oh, and some websites:

Neighbours from Hell in Ireland:
http://www.nfh-ireland.org

British version:
http://www.nfh.org.uk

Oregon's service for neighbour-to-neighbour mediation:
http://www.open.org/~n2n/about.htm

Vancouver service, with ideas on how to approach neighbours:
http://www.ci.vancouver.wa.us/chservices/mediation/Neigb_neigb_M.htm

Association for Conflict Resolution: http://www.acrnet.org/about/CR-FAQ.htm

Mediators Institute Ireland - this is a site that helps people to find professional mediators:
http://www.mediatorsinstituteireland.ie/

nlgbbbblth · 09-01-2004 10:26PM

Originally posted by commuterised
. They live in the local council estate .

surprise surprise
:rolleyes:

Ryo Hazuki · 09-01-2004 10:27PM

Air rifle from bedroom window

Exactly, not a serious wound, yet still can cause damage.
Try hitting them in the hands, they wont be able to throw anything anymore.

A few good hits and you wont see them again, heck If I lived near you id do it for you, free of charge!

quank: Nice one there, the moral of the story is the best way to stop skangers and keep them at bay skangers to kick the **** outta them while you have the chance.

I hate young skangers especially....like the ones you describe.

nlgbbbblth · 09-01-2004 10:40PM

The brick through their window idea at 3AM is quite a good plan

realistically if you know their names and addresses there is a lot of damage you can do

make sure you don't get caught - if you are caught the Gardai will come down on you like a ton of bricks (sorry, no humour intended).

whereas if they threw a brick through your window - it would be a different story

skangers get away with a lot more than the middle class (for want of a better term) do

Exit · 09-01-2004 10:51PM

Don't be stupid. If you put a brick through their window, or commit any form of violence against them, then if it escalates further and you have to bring in the authorities, you won't have a leg to stand on.
From what I've read, the gathering evidence and notifying police, councillers, etc. seems the best route to go down.

Faust · 10-01-2004 12:13AM

Originally posted by quank
HOLY CRUDNUCKET!
so many replies in a day....

i didnt read them all, so apoligies if i am repeating

my solutions would be to, as many have said, beat the fcuk out of the leader/most illuminous/tallest/most amount of facial hair or whatever

i had a little event at school break time around a month ago
we and my friends hang around a certain part of a corridor and while we were just talking and stuff, and bunch(around 4 of them) of juniors (JC students) skangers came up to us and were asking my friends brother (also a JC student) which of my friends was his brother, and then they were just annoying us basically (saying stupid things, pushing each other in to us, laughing at our faces for no reason etc.)

So then, i tell one of my friends, to push me into them
He does so
and i hit into the tallest of them (still smaller than me)
and then he was doing the aul skanger tradition of tilting your head forward at an angle and walking towards me while pushing me saying "ye startin'???"
i was just smiling and said "no man, calm down"
then one of my mates did the same as i did, he pushed into him
then he was startin' on bout of us and my friend is pretty big
so anyway, my mate was smiling aswell and he gestured with his hands that he didnt want to fight or anything
the little skanger pushed my mates hand and it hit me on my eye
thats when the little shít thought it was funny, and he started to run away
and before he went i grabbed him and just beat the crapage outta him

after that, when ever i see him in school he stares at the ground

well anyway, the moral of the story is.... get the skanger that seems to be controling the group and beat the fcuk out of him
it works, trust me
or if it doesnt i dunno :rolleyes:

hope the situation improves (Y)

Was it B corridor ya corridor stealing fiend!

10-01-2004 12:23AM

OK.

Get your husband to get a few of his mates together and get a van somewhow. Drive around one night until you see either one of them on his own, or 2 or 3 of them or whatever. The more the better, assuming that there's enough of your husbands mates there to take care of them. If you know a gaurd in your local station then it's all the better.

Grab them, throw them into the van and beat the shít out of them. Let them know that if ANYTHING like this happens again that you'll have their kneecaps.

THE END.

gurramok · 10-01-2004 12:34AM

How about a boards gathering armed with camcorders/cameras to observe the thugs in action and publicise their dastardly deeds to the media ?

We are a community after all ? !

passive · 10-01-2004 01:21AM

or we could just go all out on the gathering and recruit boardsies (especially those with interesting swords/batons/tazers they bought online or whatever) hmm...permission to start a "secret criminal vigilante" forum?....

or we could just make use of the crack ninja squad we already have in training....they wouldn't know we had struck until they realised they were dead:ninja:

or everyone could cut the crap with the violent suggestions? cos none of its going to happen and you're just trying to outdo each other on creativity (not that they're not all fun ideas but they don't help at all!!!)

Tommy Vercetti · 10-01-2004 02:19AM

Originally posted by Pink Bunny
I'm so sorry to hear about your problems. I like the video idea as well.
I was just wondering.......you say they are a group of 13-16 year old boys, right? They are out to impress each other. But who do boys that age try even harder to impress? Never underestimate the power of a pretty girl. Are there any nieces or daughters of friends that you might invite over from time to time to be seen walking into the house? It sounds silly, but a friend of my father's had trouble like that when I was in school and a couple of girls and I would put our short skirts on and head over to his house once in a while, make sure we were seen by the trouble makers, give them a bit of a smile and walk in the house. They didn't know when we would be around and for whatever reason the trouble stopped.
It's worth a try at least.

You're right, it does sound silly. I'd like to amend my advice to include a sawn-off shotgun and some kneecaps.

quank · 10-01-2004 02:27AM

Originally posted by Faust
Was it B corridor ya corridor stealing fiend!

mebbe.... mebbe not :rolleyes:

its ours now anyway
/sevillaugh

Sleepy · 10-01-2004 02:31AM

To be honest I think one of the better suggestions here was to contact the local Sinn Fein representative. Those kids respect anyone they think is harder than them. So, put someone who more than likely has fired an Armalite in front of them, telling them to lay off and watch it happen.

An Alsation is a good idea. They're fantastically loyal family pets and also have quite an overly deserved reputation for being vicious. The bark alone should terrify the little skangers and if not, let the dog have what he wants when the house is being attacked...

Tommy Vercetti · 10-01-2004 02:33AM

Originally posted by Sleepy
To be honest I think one of the better suggestions here was to contact the local Sinn Fein representative. Those kids respect anyone they think is harder than them. So, put someone who more than likely has fired an Armalite in front of them, telling them to lay off and watch it happen.

An Alsation is a good idea. They're fantastically loyal family pets and also have quite an overly deserved reputation for being vicious. The bark alone should terrify the little skangers and if not, let the dog have what he wants when the house is being attacked...

Dog bites scum, family get sued, dog gets put down, scum gets several thousand compensation:(

Sleepy · 10-01-2004 02:35AM

To be honest the local cops seem fairly apathetic... and all you'd have to "prove" is that the scum was "tormenting" the dog

Sand · 10-01-2004 03:59AM

You got two options really

1)Pretend they dont exist. They may get bored, or they may decide to rachet it up till youre forced to pay attention.

2)Freak out at them but *do not* hit them. This might work if they run, if they dont run then youre worse off than you were as theyll have called your bluff and youll be even more fun to torment.

Half arsed options like installing lights and stuff will only amuse them a bit as they get a thrill from setting them off - their idea of fun is hanging around street corners in the cold and the rain, theyre easily amused. Vigilantism is great in theory but if you lay a finger on them theyll have you up in court the next day. Its great to say do it incognito but itd be kinda tricky to find 3 or 4 fellahs wholl keep their mouth shut, a van with blacked out licence plates that wont arouse suspicion or be traced back to you and the skanger hanging out on his own in some deserted locale with no witnesses just so he can be abducted and beaten. And with such beatings there is *always* the chance youll accidentially kill the knacker - not really a loss to humanity but again the courts wont see it that way. Apparently knackers have civil rights and stuff - you dont have the right to live in peace of course, but if you were to retaliate at all then youre worse than Hitler. Look at that guy in England who got jailed for shooting some scumbag who broke into his house after tormenting the guy for years.

At the end of the day knackers are free to act in anti-social ways because theyve got nothing to lose, but you do.

Dont waste your time talking to the parents - its unreal to suggest the parents who have been living in the area for years arent aware that their dears are the local scum. The parents are probably worse filth to be honest. Trying to talk to them is just asking for abuse and probably a slap from their family, and then youll have the whole family giving you ****e.

I guess if youve reached the end of your tether the thing to do might be to follow them, keep your distance but follow them when they go home so you know exactly where each one lives or hangs out. A bit of videotape or photos wont harm either but dont let them know youre doing it because again itll amuse them. When youve got a good bit of evidence together dont bother going to the Gardai, the legal system is a joke - theres nowhere to hold them and the gardai cant lay a finger on them either. Go to your T.D. and ask him why exactly you should bother voting for him when his party cant give you peace of mind in your home - be a good idea maybe to get your neighbours to back you on this so youre not seen as a lone crank. Ireland is still run by cute hoors so the Gardai may tend to do more if theyve got a T.D. on their backs. Sinn Fein might be a good option seeing as theyre worse scum than the skangers so theyre willing to go outside the law if needs be. Just dont vote for them no matter what you promise them.

If all else fails the old brick through the window at 3 a.m. cant hurt - its not like theyll be expecting it and with Garda response times youll be very unlucky to get caught. Itll probably be satisfying as well.

EDIT:
Oh Another Option - Start paying the skangers protection money so that they dont egg your house. Option thats most likely to work when you think about it. Itll speed the scums descent into a life of petty, violent crime too and hopefully their fatal drug
habit. Everyones a winner.

BlitzKrieg · 10-01-2004 06:49AM

Originally posted by Tommy Vercetti
Dog bites scum, family get sued, dog gets put down, scum gets several thousand compensation:(

Stick up beware of dog sign and notify the gaurds the dog was bought to protect your home from vandals (as said earlier they know u have had probs) therefore you have warned scummers of dog, gaurds know that dog was intended for security and result?? Mauled scummers no charge...

Moriarty · 10-01-2004 07:48AM

Real crappy situation youre in.

Im just going to make a few quick points..

Dont go with the dog option. More than likely theyll have more fun throwing rocks at the dog than they ever did with your house. Theyre twisted fùcks like that. Youll end up with an injured dog on top of all your other problems.
The vigilante method would certainly make you feel better, but youre playing with fire once this happens. Theres the very real possiblity of one/all of the blokes getting done for GBH and whoever knows what else and spending a few years in the 'joy, landing you in far deeper doodoo than you are at the moment. Then again, it could solve the entire problem in a single night. Its very high risk and most certainly only to be considered once youve exhausted every other option mentioned here.
Forget about approaching the parents directly. Either they just wont give a toss or theyll tell their little shìts about your call, encouraging them more than ever to harrass you specifically. The very last thing you want to do is single yourself out from the other neighbours.
Your best bet for the moment is to video them in the act then scream blue bloody murder at your local TDs, councillers etc. etc.

Hope that helps, keep us updated

Karl Hungus · 10-01-2004 10:36AM

Originally posted by Moriarty
Dont go with the dog option. More than likely theyll have more fun throwing rocks at the dog than they ever did with your house. Theyre twisted fùcks like that. Youll end up with an injured dog on top of all your other problems.

And this is a bad idea because...?

Tell me that the proper authorities wouldn't come down on them for animal cruelty far, far sooner than the guards ever would? If you've got animal abuse added to your list of complaints it can greatly better your chances with some authority, like a TD.

Young ruffians? Pfft... who cares?
Cruelty To Animals? Now that's an offence!

red vex · 10-01-2004 01:03PM

purchase a shotgun.. the next time they come near yor approach run out and let a shot off above their heads....PROBLEM SOLVED...also video their actions

luckat · 10-01-2004 01:34PM

Are we getting a little carried away here? These kids are just playing tommyknockers, even though they're carrying it further than they should, by thowing stones and eggs and using bad language.

Violence leads to more violence. And I'm really amazed at the level of nastiness being shown here, by people, remember, who are posting anonymously.

Don't get a shotgun. Don't beat anyone up. Don't threaten the kids. Don't get a savage dog.

Do look for help from mediation services, and from local politicians.

Ask around the locality about what's happening, and talk to your neighbours.

Your main problem here, at the moment, is that you're *alone* in your problem. If you talk to your neighbours, they may be able to help; they may know the kids, and be able to talk them into a little sanity.

You have to end your isolation in the neighbourhood, and become someone that all the neighbours know and respect, so that there is a consensus that targeting you is wrong.

You might also ask the local council to put a gate in the lane that the kids are using, giving the neighbours keys, so that the kids have to go around the long way to get to you, and don't have an easy way of running away.

About 20 years ago a huge Dublin council estate was having the same kind of problems, but in this case something like 50 kids were ganging up together.

(I remember driving through one day, and about 30 kids mobbed my car, shrieking and shouting and laughing and rocking the car and getting up on it. Then a bunch of local activists came by in their jeep - they ran play schemes for the kids, furniture re-homing, pet care, etc - and called "Oh, come on, stop messing!" and the kids sheepishly got off and went away.)

The Corporation solved most of the problem at a stroke by building walls between the blocks of flats, so the kids had to walk a few hundred yards from block to block, instead of a few steps, to get together. The huge gangs just stopped happening.

billy the squid · 10-01-2004 03:03PM

I don't know if its the same in Wiclow County Council but here in Limerick your whole family can be evicted from a council house for anti social behaviour.

might file a complaint with the council and see what happens and keep co mplaining to them

Victor · 10-01-2004 09:42PM

Originally posted by commuterised
They only come out when it's dark and retreat back up a dark laneway when they've thrown things or said things.

Tell the local council the laneway is being used for anti-social behavior and try to get them to close it.

Also seeing as the local elections are coming up, get a few neighbours together and drop into a clinic run by a TD / councillor and ask, sorry no, get them to talk to the Garda.

Originally posted by Silent Death
I'm not so sure this will work. There was video broadcast on TV of Gardaí beating seven shades of sh1te out of people on May Day and that was very reluctantly acted upon.

The reluctance was only because they were Gardaí, not because it was video.

Originally posted by AngelWhore
Aim for a bedroom window

And you might hit a baby.

Originally posted by Pink Bunny
It sounds silly, but a friend of my father's had trouble like that when I was in school and a couple of girls and I would put our short skirts on and head over to his house once in a while, make sure we were seen by the trouble makers, give them a bit of a smile and walk in the house.

Slapper!

Giblet · 10-01-2004 10:13PM

Theres a laneway around my area in Blessington full of these little bastards, been a long time since I've had any abuse walking through there though, but I know people who have been attacked by 10+ people. The problem we have there is that the local Gardai station is not full time, so any calls are diverted to Naas, and by then it's too late.

I have had my brothers car windscreen smashed by a few of them, and again nothing was done. Basically anyone I know who has run into trouble with these guys has been told to get a picture, or a video. Discreetly mind.

terrorised by group of youths - advice

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