How do you contain problem teenagers

[peterb]

There is no right or wrong answer, and I'm not sure control is the right attitude. Teenagers have a mind of their own, and to seek to control them is really a hiding to nothing. To my mind, its a question of teaching them limits, boundaries of what is acceotable or not. And then having given them that framework, give them the freedom and trust to live within it. Yes, they will make mistakes - and mistakes that you might have seen, but we all make mistakes - and learn from them. And as a parent being there to support them when they do make mistakes.

And every parent here was a teenager once...

However, parentingv is not a part time job - it is hard work investing the time to teach your children both life skills and how to apply them so that they can apply self control - not have control imposed upon them.

And sadly even the best parents will have children that 'go off the rails' in that their children don't live a life that they might have wanted or erxpoected.

[Lucio]

Think back to when you were a teenager, why did you behave or misbehave? The answers then are the same answers now. You either had some respect and/or fear of the consequences, or you didn't.

Right now what we're seeing is people who have forgotten that there are personal consequences for their actions, or people who have realised that the consequences are so minor they might as well not exist. I'd imagine many of the ringleaders have been arrested so many times that even having to appear in court is just a matter of routine.

What is appalling though is that this isn't the first time this has happened in the UK, the last time the economy was in serious trouble, we had similiar issues with the riots in Brixton and the lessons weren't learnt then either.

[m.a.miah]

young children (less than 11) should be educated and disciplined. warnings and then take away games tv mobiles etc. older children can controled in the same way. my mum took away my allowances and car keys to stop me goin out so much.