Model Railway Wanton Vandalism.. :(
Discussion
Eric Mc said:
Too many imponderables.
I would be really surprised if this event will "inspire" somebody else to trash a model show or that a perception that the leniency of the punishment might encourage them.
The case is more general than that. The thing that should have stopped them, if they didn't have the moral compass to do so, is a fear of consequences. That would be a fear of the consequences of criminal damage, not specifically of trashing model shows. I would be really surprised if this event will "inspire" somebody else to trash a model show or that a perception that the leniency of the punishment might encourage them.
otolith said:
Eric Mc said:
Too many imponderables.
I would be really surprised if this event will "inspire" somebody else to trash a model show or that a perception that the leniency of the punishment might encourage them.
The case is more general than that. The thing that should have stopped them, if they didn't have the moral compass to do so, is a fear of consequences. That would be a fear of the consequences of criminal damage, not specifically of trashing model shows. I would be really surprised if this event will "inspire" somebody else to trash a model show or that a perception that the leniency of the punishment might encourage them.
otolith said:
The case is more general than that. The thing that should have stopped them, if they didn't have the moral compass to do so, is a fear of consequences. That would be a fear of the consequences of criminal damage, not specifically of trashing model shows.
"Fear of consequences" never works for wanton vandalism - these are not people who are rationally thinking it through; it's spur of the moment idiocy, not planning a bank raid.MarkwG said:
otolith said:
The case is more general than that. The thing that should have stopped them, if they didn't have the moral compass to do so, is a fear of consequences. That would be a fear of the consequences of criminal damage, not specifically of trashing model shows.
"Fear of consequences" never works for wanton vandalism - these are not people who are rationally thinking it through; it's spur of the moment idiocy, not planning a bank raid.otolith said:
MarkwG said:
otolith said:
The case is more general than that. The thing that should have stopped them, if they didn't have the moral compass to do so, is a fear of consequences. That would be a fear of the consequences of criminal damage, not specifically of trashing model shows.
"Fear of consequences" never works for wanton vandalism - these are not people who are rationally thinking it through; it's spur of the moment idiocy, not planning a bank raid.MarkwG said:
So how do you explain repeat offending then? Speeding is a poor example, considering the number of people who not only continue to speed, but have racked up a considerable number of points doing so. How do you explain youngsters who put their lives on the line to graffiti railway lines, then? The consequences there are potentially death, yet we still see painted railway tunnels. It's simply not how the adolescent brain, particularly the young male ones, works.
People, particularly young males, do still do risky things, yes, whether the risk is prosecution or becoming a sticky mess on the front of a train. Without risk, they’d do it more. Publicly demonstrating that there are no consequences even if you get caught and prosecuted doesn’t help. Yertis said:
robemcdonald said:
Some kids have trashed a model show and folk are talking about capital punishment... etc.
It's actually quite an interesting discussion isn't it. There can be few more harmless and gentle pastimes than model railways. The models themselves often realise some sort of idealised version of the past. Nothing gets hurt. Destroying these miniature utopias therefore seems a particularly nihilistic thing to do. "Our real life is a bit stty, so we're going to wreck these little visions of a less-stty world too. Nobody gets out alive." Obviously, I doubt that was ever articulated. I don't think many children make anything very much today.
But I think that's what is behind the passionate reaction to this particular incident.
Why did they do it? Model-making has never been cool, but looking back at my own childhood nearly all the boys had a stab at a few (or more) kits, and lots of us had Hornby train sets. In fact, I struggle to remember any who definitely didn't have models in some form or other. I put on a little model show with a couple of other boys when I was about 14, to raise funds for a ski trip. Nothing got broken, several of the rougher older boys unexpectedly came up to talk about their own models, and this was at a comp with a pretty lousy reputation. But I think most kids had some understanding that things like model railways don't spring into existence spontaneously, and respected them accordingly.
I don't know that modern children understand that – I don't think many actually make things. (I may be wrong and would be happy to learn that.) I know there are various games that are creative, but that's not the same as really physically making something.
Edited by Yertis on Friday 23 August 14:07
I’ve vandalised stuff in my youth that I’m deeply ashamed of now. The owner maybe woke up and saw a big human sized gap in their hedge on a Sunday morning and wondered if they had been targeted personally or what the motives were. When it was just some idiots that were young and had got drunk and thought it would be funny.
It’s easy to look at this kind of thing and see a deeper malaise but it’s often just idiot kids being idiot kids.
otolith said:
MarkwG said:
So how do you explain repeat offending then? Speeding is a poor example, considering the number of people who not only continue to speed, but have racked up a considerable number of points doing so. How do you explain youngsters who put their lives on the line to graffiti railway lines, then? The consequences there are potentially death, yet we still see painted railway tunnels. It's simply not how the adolescent brain, particularly the young male ones, works.
People, particularly young males, do still do risky things, yes, whether the risk is prosecution or becoming a sticky mess on the front of a train. Without risk, they’d do it more. Publicly demonstrating that there are no consequences even if you get caught and prosecuted doesn’t help. No one is saying, as far as I can tell, that there shouldn't be consequences, just that they don't act as a deterrent - they act as punishment, after the event, which is about society demonstrating that a wrong has been done, & corrective action should be taken to appease the victims & society.
MarkwG said:
otolith said:
MarkwG said:
So how do you explain repeat offending then? Speeding is a poor example, considering the number of people who not only continue to speed, but have racked up a considerable number of points doing so. How do you explain youngsters who put their lives on the line to graffiti railway lines, then? The consequences there are potentially death, yet we still see painted railway tunnels. It's simply not how the adolescent brain, particularly the young male ones, works.
People, particularly young males, do still do risky things, yes, whether the risk is prosecution or becoming a sticky mess on the front of a train. Without risk, they’d do it more. Publicly demonstrating that there are no consequences even if you get caught and prosecuted doesn’t help. No one is saying, as far as I can tell, that there shouldn't be consequences, just that they don't act as a deterrent - they act as punishment, after the event, which is about society demonstrating that a wrong has been done, & corrective action should be taken to appease the victims & society.
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