Anti-social behavour - what can realistically be done?
Discussion
My Mother is having trouble with kids so I have written to the school oppsite her house where the kids who casue the trouble go to school.
Anyway, here is the letter I wrote to the head teacher:-
What else (sensible) can I do?
Dear Mrs Xxxxxxxx;
Please forgive the e-mail but I have tried to reach you by phone without success.
I unfortunately write to inform you that my Mother who lives in Xxxxxxx Avenue has been subjected to abuse and criminal damage caused by pupils at your school.
The incidents date back some time and I understand that my Mother has been in touch with your school and also visited (with her neighbour, more than once) to voice their concerns previously but nothing has been done to help tackle and resolve the situation. The incidents have on occasion happened during school hours when the pupils should have been in class (truancy). The abuse was verbal and following incidents of bad behaviour such as throwing rubbish into her garden, smashing down her hedge (which has been there since the house was built) bottles and stones being thrown into her garden and at her windows, including eggs and cartons of milk. None of which a 70 year old retired widow should have to endure.
The vandalism has subsided somewhat but her hedge is still frequently kicked in resulting in it dieing off and having permanent holes in it now. Pupils have also previously scaled her garden side wall and climbed onto her shed roof and trespassed into her garden.
The route cause of the problem currently is due to there being at least 8 and often as many as 15 pupils (on every school day) who stand behind her house at the end of her garden, using the area to congregate to smoke cigarettes behind her hedge; this in itself causes a lot of littering since they discard cigarette ends and any wrappers or containers from food and drinks consumed whilst they are there. She has asked them to move along but their response is usually to either ignore her or make rude/abusive comments. This happens at the beginning of the day, at lunch times and at the end of the school day. She is also frightened by the number of them and possible retaliation. She is often worried about the leaving the house and keeping a watch on them at 3 different times throughout the day is also restrictive on her movements.
I’m sure you can appreciate that this situation can be quite frightening to someone who is elderly and living on their own and I’m also certain that you would not appreciate your own parents experiencing a similar situation.
I would like a resolution to this now since it has gone on for long enough and would very much appreciate a positive reply to this e-mail with some suggestions on how you are able to help with ensuring your pupils do not loiter, abuse local residents and cause damage to your local community.
However, if you feel that you are not in a position to help - please advise me as soon as possible and I will contact the Managing Director for Schools and Education at Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx.
Yours sincerely,
Kentish
Anyway, here is the letter I wrote to the head teacher:-
What else (sensible) can I do?
Dear Mrs Xxxxxxxx;
Please forgive the e-mail but I have tried to reach you by phone without success.
I unfortunately write to inform you that my Mother who lives in Xxxxxxx Avenue has been subjected to abuse and criminal damage caused by pupils at your school.
The incidents date back some time and I understand that my Mother has been in touch with your school and also visited (with her neighbour, more than once) to voice their concerns previously but nothing has been done to help tackle and resolve the situation. The incidents have on occasion happened during school hours when the pupils should have been in class (truancy). The abuse was verbal and following incidents of bad behaviour such as throwing rubbish into her garden, smashing down her hedge (which has been there since the house was built) bottles and stones being thrown into her garden and at her windows, including eggs and cartons of milk. None of which a 70 year old retired widow should have to endure.
The vandalism has subsided somewhat but her hedge is still frequently kicked in resulting in it dieing off and having permanent holes in it now. Pupils have also previously scaled her garden side wall and climbed onto her shed roof and trespassed into her garden.
The route cause of the problem currently is due to there being at least 8 and often as many as 15 pupils (on every school day) who stand behind her house at the end of her garden, using the area to congregate to smoke cigarettes behind her hedge; this in itself causes a lot of littering since they discard cigarette ends and any wrappers or containers from food and drinks consumed whilst they are there. She has asked them to move along but their response is usually to either ignore her or make rude/abusive comments. This happens at the beginning of the day, at lunch times and at the end of the school day. She is also frightened by the number of them and possible retaliation. She is often worried about the leaving the house and keeping a watch on them at 3 different times throughout the day is also restrictive on her movements.
I’m sure you can appreciate that this situation can be quite frightening to someone who is elderly and living on their own and I’m also certain that you would not appreciate your own parents experiencing a similar situation.
I would like a resolution to this now since it has gone on for long enough and would very much appreciate a positive reply to this e-mail with some suggestions on how you are able to help with ensuring your pupils do not loiter, abuse local residents and cause damage to your local community.
However, if you feel that you are not in a position to help - please advise me as soon as possible and I will contact the Managing Director for Schools and Education at Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxx.
Yours sincerely,
Kentish
o.versteer said:
Why don't you get the police involved? I've had similar problems, and the PCSO's have come out and sorted it out every time. I think writing to the school is a waste of time, to be honest.
We tried that and they wanted to give her a camera to pop out and ask the little buggers to pose for portraits.Cretins!
Dying, not dieing.
Root cause, not route cause.
Apart from that, the only decent parts are the specific descriptions of what the pupils do, and asking them to put themselves in your situation by imagining if it was their elderly parent.
You need a much more strongly worded letter. And why are you not threatening to involve the police and jeopardise their jobs?
Root cause, not route cause.
Apart from that, the only decent parts are the specific descriptions of what the pupils do, and asking them to put themselves in your situation by imagining if it was their elderly parent.
You need a much more strongly worded letter. And why are you not threatening to involve the police and jeopardise their jobs?
carerra g tea said:
Dying, not dieing.
Root cause, not route cause.
Apart from that, the only decent parts are the specific descriptions of what the pupils do, and asking them to put themselves in your situation by imagining if it was their elderly parent.
You need a much more strongly worded letter. And why are you not threatening to involve the police and jeopardise their jobs?
Root cause, not route cause.
Apart from that, the only decent parts are the specific descriptions of what the pupils do, and asking them to put themselves in your situation by imagining if it was their elderly parent.
You need a much more strongly worded letter. And why are you not threatening to involve the police and jeopardise their jobs?
Damn it - stupid typos.
Should have written it when I was in a calmer mood!
Too late now because it was sent earlier - damn!
Kentish said:
carerra g tea said:
Dying, not dieing.
Root cause, not route cause.
Apart from that, the only decent parts are the specific descriptions of what the pupils do, and asking them to put themselves in your situation by imagining if it was their elderly parent.
You need a much more strongly worded letter. And why are you not threatening to involve the police and jeopardise their jobs?
Root cause, not route cause.
Apart from that, the only decent parts are the specific descriptions of what the pupils do, and asking them to put themselves in your situation by imagining if it was their elderly parent.
You need a much more strongly worded letter. And why are you not threatening to involve the police and jeopardise their jobs?
Damn it - stupid typos.
Should have written it when I was in a calmer mood!
Too late now because it was sent earlier - damn!
carerra g tea said:
Another idea!!!!
Have you read about that thing called the Mosquito that emits a high-pitched sound that only teens can hear? If not, google it. Install one and they will vanish.
Or install a speaker connected to a CD player near to where they loiter and let your mother play them a selection of her favourite tunes. Vera Lynn anyone ? Have you read about that thing called the Mosquito that emits a high-pitched sound that only teens can hear? If not, google it. Install one and they will vanish.
Apparently it works for some shops.Youre going about this the wrong way. A far shorter letter:
Dear Mrs Xxxxxxxx;
Please forgive the e-mail but I have tried to reach you by phone without success.
I unfortunately write to inform you that my Mother who lives in Xxxxxxx Avenue has been subjected to abuse and criminal damage caused by pupils at your school. Because of this she has been forced to move into sheltred accomodation. The house has been let to a gentleman called Gary Glitter.
Yours etc.
Dear Mrs Xxxxxxxx;
Please forgive the e-mail but I have tried to reach you by phone without success.
I unfortunately write to inform you that my Mother who lives in Xxxxxxx Avenue has been subjected to abuse and criminal damage caused by pupils at your school. Because of this she has been forced to move into sheltred accomodation. The house has been let to a gentleman called Gary Glitter.
Yours etc.
Kentish said:
carerra g tea said:
Another idea!!!!
Have you read about that thing called the Mosquito that emits a high-pitched sound that only teens can hear? If not, google it. Install one and they will vanish.
That's a good idea!Have you read about that thing called the Mosquito that emits a high-pitched sound that only teens can hear? If not, google it. Install one and they will vanish.
Thanks - will check that out
chris_w666 said:
How about using the novel approach of actually talking to the trouble makers in a polite manner and explaining the situation to them?
Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Or they may huddle round and murder you with knives until you are dead from it.Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
10 Pence Short said:
chris_w666 said:
How about using the novel approach of actually talking to the trouble makers in a polite manner and explaining the situation to them?
Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Or they may huddle round and murder you with knives until you are dead from it.Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Mc Lovin said:
10 Pence Short said:
chris_w666 said:
How about using the novel approach of actually talking to the trouble makers in a polite manner and explaining the situation to them?
Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Or they may huddle round and murder you with knives until you are dead from it.Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Come on surely most kids like those described are not really knife wielding hoodies, only the ones written about in the daily mail do that.
chris_w666 said:
Mc Lovin said:
10 Pence Short said:
chris_w666 said:
How about using the novel approach of actually talking to the trouble makers in a polite manner and explaining the situation to them?
Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Or they may huddle round and murder you with knives until you are dead from it.Not all kids are evil and may actually respond to a reasonable polite request.
Come on surely most kids like those described are not really knife wielding hoodies, only the ones written about in the daily mail do that.
Get a mosquito as has been said. It's the expensive option but while the school fart arses about pretending to sort it the mosquito will do the job. You can even set it to only come on when you know they're loitering. Expect the school and police to really get involved then. As they'll be after you for installing it! However, all the research I've read on these devices indicates you're ok to use them but don't expect the local health and safety to be happy. Still by the time they get involved the kids will have moved on.
You could try talking to them, it may work but more than likely you'll face a tirade of abuse. Without their parents or teachers around generally teenagers don't give a monkeys.
You could try talking to them, it may work but more than likely you'll face a tirade of abuse. Without their parents or teachers around generally teenagers don't give a monkeys.
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