PVP, please dont make excuses for the behaviour of these idiots. It is an insult to the poor kids with no future that stayed at home last night and did not go around knicking trainers and flat screens. These kids are not exactly starving or having to walk 5 days just for water. Stop making excuses. The only thing these kids are deprived of is discipline.

These are the kids

who walk around with their trousers half way down their a***s
who play music on their mobile phone loudspeakers on the bus
who eat chicken and drop the bones and associated rubbish anywhere
who can barely speak properly
who go around in gangs frightening people
who carry knives and will use them
who gang rape girls
who cause disruption in class that effects the education of others

The one thing you are right on is that they dont suddenly come criminally minded. This culture has been happening, building up and getting worse for years. unfortunately the reaction to the scarman and mcpherson reports has probably done more harm that good. The softly softly approach has gone on for far too long.

As I said discipline is the answer and its going to take some seriously tough discipline to win the streets back.