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I hate Halloween!
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 475142" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Every year in our village, a few young hoodlums (mostly male) use Halloween as an excuse to throw eggs and other projectiles at various people. It's not the same kids every year, as the kids get older they either graduate to bigger crimes (including drug trafficking) or they clean up their act. Then younger kids step in to replace them. Often younger siblings, but sometimes just younger kids who have witnessed the 'fun' and want to have a piece of it. And so the problem continues, and has done for far too long. I've had a gutfull.</p><p></p><p>I have to go out this morning. I know I will find a lot of debris, eggshells, etc in the street. I can name for you the houses that will have been targetted. In past years our house was often targetted, mostly because of difficult child 1 attracting unwanted attention. difficult child 3 being home-schooled (sort of) means he is off the radar of many of these kids now, so they don't think to have a go at him unless they see him. He doesn't go for his afternoon walks any more, hasn't done for two years since the attack. So I don't think our house got egged last night (we weren't home anyway, we went out just after that one bedraggled party of trick or treater arrived).</p><p></p><p>Two years ago after difficult child 3's attack I went out with my camera and took photos of the egg-throwers congregating before they attacked the house of a friend of mine. The targetted guy is a local ratbag, not popular with a lot of people, but he gets beaten up at times and his house is attacked every year and he does not deserve that. This incident last night was actually not near his house, although I suspect I'll see eggshells there this morning.</p><p></p><p>When I've taken photos of the egg-throwers, they see the camera and scatter. It's the same location where drug deals happen. I hate the thought of these kids mixed up in this crud.</p><p></p><p>No, I won't post this on the local notice board. But I'm not keeping quiet about this. Three of the families (including the family of the kid who told me to remove myself, in sexual terms, from the FB thread) are known to me. Two are friends of mine. One is a close friend (the family of the kid who friended me). When I go out this morning, I plan to drop in a letter to at least two of the families. What they choose to do with it is up to them. I'm not telling them what to do, only telling them of the exchange last night and my concerns that</p><p>1) it was bragged about publicly and left their kid legally wide open; and</p><p></p><p>2) this is not "boys will be boys" but the beginning of their kid being involved in serious neighbourhood vandalism and nuisance behaviour, to the point where it can become very dangerous. It could have been very dangerous last night, if the truck driver had panicked.</p><p></p><p>If the kid unfriends me, I won't be sorry, frankly. I nearly blocked him last night. I nearly reported it to FB last night, the vitriol was so unpleasant. Plus they have broken a lot of FB rules, not the least being lying about their ages. Although most of them would be over 13 now (FB's minimum age).</p><p></p><p>One possible different direction - a neighbour across the street knows all these kids, is on closer terms with the parents. Her son is a decent kid but could get caught up in this crowd. They are friends with difficult child 3, the mum commented that difficult child 3 hasn't visited them lately. I think I will talk to her about my concerns also, ask if her son was present (I am sure he wasn't). Let her know that if he was, having any member present later brag about it on FB is risking prosecution for all, if not this time then at some incident in the future.</p><p></p><p>Here in Australia, especially near Sydney, we have had too many incidents of kids throwing stuff (especially rocks) at cars on the road. People have been killed through foolish pranks. Now when you drive through most of our main roads, all overpasses (whether pedestrian-accessible or not) are being fenced in so nothing can be thrown or dropped. If you're a driver on the road and you see something coming towards your windscreen, what would you do? How many drivers would instinctively duck or swerve, especially having heard of the cases of innocent people killed by getting windscreens shattered by a rock? An egg or water bomb won't break a windscreen, but it takes a few more seconds for the driver to realise that the missile is harmless. This time.</p><p></p><p>Also a concern - the racism. We live far too close to the location of race riots a few year ago that were reported around the world. These kids go to the high school in that very suburb (those that are in high school - remember, high school starts at age 11 here). The community is working hard to turn around the negative image the world has of us, as being racist pigs who will attack anyone who is different while we use the Aussie flag as a weapon and an excuse. </p><p></p><p>I've slept on this (not well) and I'm calmer (believe it or not!). But I can't let it go. </p><p></p><p>One thing - if any of these kids include difficult child 3's attackers, and also any kids who are friends of ours, they will KNOW that if any of our family become targets because of my response, the police WILL be called. Because they got spoken to by the cops back then, and the neighbourhood all knew about it, after the last attack. And anyone attacking me personally - an obviously crippled woman - will not gain any kudos from it whatsoever. It would be like bragging about killing a dangerous spider, only to present people with a shrivelled daddy-long-legs.</p><p></p><p>I don't think my speaking out will lead to any physical response. What I plan to say is polite but concerned. But if I do/say nothing (because what I posted to these kids last night did not have any impact whatsoever) then I will lose respect for myself.</p><p></p><p>So - no to the bulletin board in the village street. But yes to talking to at least two of the parents. Plus my neighbour. If I can make a point of keeping it "in-house" then we may have more chance of getting at least a couple of parents on-side. Let them share my letter more widely with the other parents if they choose to.</p><p></p><p>I've got about two hours yet, to print out the screen shot and copies of my letter. I'll carry an extra couple, but at this stage I'll only drop in on two places. Happily, one of these is the kid whose mouthing off was worst. From what I know of his reputation, I suspect he's the ringleader. He is the oldest, as far as I know - almost difficult child 3's age. And his mother owes me for past support of this kid. His dad's business here depends on the goodwill of adults in the village, so I suspect that that set of parents will talk to their son.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 475142, member: 1991"] Every year in our village, a few young hoodlums (mostly male) use Halloween as an excuse to throw eggs and other projectiles at various people. It's not the same kids every year, as the kids get older they either graduate to bigger crimes (including drug trafficking) or they clean up their act. Then younger kids step in to replace them. Often younger siblings, but sometimes just younger kids who have witnessed the 'fun' and want to have a piece of it. And so the problem continues, and has done for far too long. I've had a gutfull. I have to go out this morning. I know I will find a lot of debris, eggshells, etc in the street. I can name for you the houses that will have been targetted. In past years our house was often targetted, mostly because of difficult child 1 attracting unwanted attention. difficult child 3 being home-schooled (sort of) means he is off the radar of many of these kids now, so they don't think to have a go at him unless they see him. He doesn't go for his afternoon walks any more, hasn't done for two years since the attack. So I don't think our house got egged last night (we weren't home anyway, we went out just after that one bedraggled party of trick or treater arrived). Two years ago after difficult child 3's attack I went out with my camera and took photos of the egg-throwers congregating before they attacked the house of a friend of mine. The targetted guy is a local ratbag, not popular with a lot of people, but he gets beaten up at times and his house is attacked every year and he does not deserve that. This incident last night was actually not near his house, although I suspect I'll see eggshells there this morning. When I've taken photos of the egg-throwers, they see the camera and scatter. It's the same location where drug deals happen. I hate the thought of these kids mixed up in this crud. No, I won't post this on the local notice board. But I'm not keeping quiet about this. Three of the families (including the family of the kid who told me to remove myself, in sexual terms, from the FB thread) are known to me. Two are friends of mine. One is a close friend (the family of the kid who friended me). When I go out this morning, I plan to drop in a letter to at least two of the families. What they choose to do with it is up to them. I'm not telling them what to do, only telling them of the exchange last night and my concerns that 1) it was bragged about publicly and left their kid legally wide open; and 2) this is not "boys will be boys" but the beginning of their kid being involved in serious neighbourhood vandalism and nuisance behaviour, to the point where it can become very dangerous. It could have been very dangerous last night, if the truck driver had panicked. If the kid unfriends me, I won't be sorry, frankly. I nearly blocked him last night. I nearly reported it to FB last night, the vitriol was so unpleasant. Plus they have broken a lot of FB rules, not the least being lying about their ages. Although most of them would be over 13 now (FB's minimum age). One possible different direction - a neighbour across the street knows all these kids, is on closer terms with the parents. Her son is a decent kid but could get caught up in this crowd. They are friends with difficult child 3, the mum commented that difficult child 3 hasn't visited them lately. I think I will talk to her about my concerns also, ask if her son was present (I am sure he wasn't). Let her know that if he was, having any member present later brag about it on FB is risking prosecution for all, if not this time then at some incident in the future. Here in Australia, especially near Sydney, we have had too many incidents of kids throwing stuff (especially rocks) at cars on the road. People have been killed through foolish pranks. Now when you drive through most of our main roads, all overpasses (whether pedestrian-accessible or not) are being fenced in so nothing can be thrown or dropped. If you're a driver on the road and you see something coming towards your windscreen, what would you do? How many drivers would instinctively duck or swerve, especially having heard of the cases of innocent people killed by getting windscreens shattered by a rock? An egg or water bomb won't break a windscreen, but it takes a few more seconds for the driver to realise that the missile is harmless. This time. Also a concern - the racism. We live far too close to the location of race riots a few year ago that were reported around the world. These kids go to the high school in that very suburb (those that are in high school - remember, high school starts at age 11 here). The community is working hard to turn around the negative image the world has of us, as being racist pigs who will attack anyone who is different while we use the Aussie flag as a weapon and an excuse. I've slept on this (not well) and I'm calmer (believe it or not!). But I can't let it go. One thing - if any of these kids include difficult child 3's attackers, and also any kids who are friends of ours, they will KNOW that if any of our family become targets because of my response, the police WILL be called. Because they got spoken to by the cops back then, and the neighbourhood all knew about it, after the last attack. And anyone attacking me personally - an obviously crippled woman - will not gain any kudos from it whatsoever. It would be like bragging about killing a dangerous spider, only to present people with a shrivelled daddy-long-legs. I don't think my speaking out will lead to any physical response. What I plan to say is polite but concerned. But if I do/say nothing (because what I posted to these kids last night did not have any impact whatsoever) then I will lose respect for myself. So - no to the bulletin board in the village street. But yes to talking to at least two of the parents. Plus my neighbour. If I can make a point of keeping it "in-house" then we may have more chance of getting at least a couple of parents on-side. Let them share my letter more widely with the other parents if they choose to. I've got about two hours yet, to print out the screen shot and copies of my letter. I'll carry an extra couple, but at this stage I'll only drop in on two places. Happily, one of these is the kid whose mouthing off was worst. From what I know of his reputation, I suspect he's the ringleader. He is the oldest, as far as I know - almost difficult child 3's age. And his mother owes me for past support of this kid. His dad's business here depends on the goodwill of adults in the village, so I suspect that that set of parents will talk to their son. Marg [/QUOTE]
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