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Originally Posted by homealone
I think we also need to consider the message we give, as adults, to young people as they are growing up.
The distinction between what is criminal or not, has become blurred. Otherwise perfectly law abiding citizens think nothing of saving a 'few bob' by buying smuggled booze, or tobacco, for example. We condone the fencing of stolen goods & the proliferation of pirate & counterfeit goods, by buying them at 'boot sales'. The definition of the words lying & stealing, appears to have changed....
Then the 'planet of grab' society we live in, appears to offer an insecure future where hard work & polite behaviour are rewarded by mediocrity, while the brash & rude, curse & cheat their way to the top.
Where icons of everything fashionable & desireable are shoved in your face 24 hours a day. Where having the right labels, the latest gadget, the right 'look' is considered more important than anything - especially more important than courtesy, or consideration for others, lets push people out of the way to get what we want...
I'm amazed how any young people manage to survive all that & get anywhere near 'decent & honest', myself.
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You do have some valid points there, teenagers need all the latest designer trainers and clothes to keep up with their mates. I guess shoplifting amongst teenagers for clothes could be in poor or single parent families.
My parents were very skint when I was young because they were both under 17 when I was born, (probably a bigger thing back in 1966 than today) I never seemed to get as much spent on me at christmas as many of the other kids, I never really had any pocket money either. However one thing I can honestly say, is I never stole to make up for it. If I had of the punishment would of been far more severe than the majority of kids would get these days.