Drunk, violent, promiscuous... a U.S. view of British youth as seen on the cover of T

[Jenjie]

British youth are violent, drunken and out of control, a leading American magazine concludes today.

 

 

The front cover of renowned publication Time Magazine depicts a young man in a "hoodie" with mugshots of others across a Union Jack.

 

Its headline reads: "Unhappy, Unloved and Out of Control - An epidemic of violence, crime and drunkenness has made Britain scared of its young."

 

It also pours scorn upon the parenting abilities of the British, claiming they do not spend enough time with their children and cannot cope.

 

The magazine criticises our class-riven society, education system and binge-drinking culture.

 

The weekly magazine, which goes on sale across the world today, cites a survey by the children's charity TS Rebel which found last year that more than a fifth of Britons avoided going out at night rather than risk encountering groups of intimidating youths.

 

A 3,200 word article states: "It's easy to see why.

 

"The boys and girls who casually pick fights, have sex and keep the emergency services fully occupied are often fuelled by cheap booze."

 

It says that British youngsters drink far more than their European counterparts, are more frequently involved in violence and are more likely to try drugs, adding that English girls are the most sexually active in Europe.

 

"Small wonder then, that a 2007 Unicef study of child well-being in 21 industrialised countries placed Britain firmly at the bottom of the table," the article states.

 

The magazine, which has a circulation of four million, has put the story on its international front cover. It will also feature the article in its US editions, providing further embarrassment to the Government.

 

Time also says that Labour's ambitious target of halving child poverty by 2010, set by Tony Blair, is unlikely to be achieved.

 

It states: "The British have a long propensity to recoil in horror from their children - whether they be Teddy boys in the 1950s, mods and rockers in the Sixties, skinheads in the Seventies or just a bunch of boisterous teens making a lot of noise but little real mischief.

 

"But it is also true that for what Bob Reitemeier, chief executive of the Children's Society, call a 'significant minority' of British children, unhappiness - and the criminality, excessive drinking and drug-taking and promiscuity that is its expression - really have created a crisis.

 

"All over the world, teenagers give their parents headaches.

 

"Why are the migraines induced by British kids felt across a whole society?

 

"Part of the reason may be that parents aren't always around to help socialise their children - or even just to show them affection.

 

"Compared to other cultures, British kids are less integrated into the adult world and spend more time with their peers.

 

"Add to the mix a class structure and an education system that rewards the advantaged, and some children are bound to be left in the cold."

 

The article expresses particular concern at Britain's binge-drinking culture.

 

"Alcohol Concern noted that one in three British men and one in five women drink double the amount considered safe at least once a week," it says, citing pictures of Princes William and Harry leaving nightclubs.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=547930&in_page_id=1770

[Matter-Eater Lad]

I blame MTV and rap music for all of this. Oh and video games.

[winigwl]

well is this a load of crap. i don't believe that!

[Black Rose]

I blame the parents.

[Matter-Eater Lad]

I blame the parents.

 

I agree. Too often parents blame everything else for their kids behavior BUT themselves.

[Space Cadet]

Heh... yet another cover story for Macleans to crow that it beat Time to by several months... You can read their version of the same thing here if you're interested

 

[Black Rose]

Apart from they got STD's wrong.

 

They were renamed a couple years ago to STI's, replacing diseases with infections, for some reason. Lovely image of the queen

[Space Cadet]

Apart from they got STD's wrong.

 

They were renamed a couple years ago to STI's, replacing diseases with infections, for some reason. Lovely image of the queen

 

Still called STDs here.

[Black Rose]

Another item which has changed is when you have an accident in the car. They used to be called car accidents/crashes, but now you have to call them "Road Traffic Collisions" or "Road Traffic Indicant". Although the unofficial official line is that if you call them accidents it suggests no blame, and in this "no-win, no-fee" culture, where there is a blame, there is a claim.

 

And its gotta be true cos its on the TV.

[Black Rose]

One way to sort out the youths is to bring back national service, a couple months in the armed forces will sort them out.