Sometimes i hate where i live😕

[Milkfloat]

It would be interesting to know how many of those Norwegian murders and manslaughters are committed by complete strangers and how many by friends and relatives who know each other.

Everyone knows everyone in Norway. I had to cherry pick statistics as pretty much every other one had Norway with a much lower crime rate. My guess is the weird anomalies are just down to reporting differences.

 

[classic33]

Because in the good old days, no one ever got glassed or bottled in a pub? My dad used to run pubs, he got hit over the head with a bottle...50 odd years ago (big bloke, 6'4)

Men + alcohol = fights (or can do)

Women + alcohol = fights(and they're on the increase).

@I like Skol has given the better reason, I've only put what I've seen in various A&E's over the years.

 

[BoldonLad]

Ftfy.
IMO nothing about alcohol that induces violence or violent behaviour, but it does embolden idiots and scumbags that already have violent, antisocial tendencies and no self-control. For some people, going out, getting drunk and having a fight is their idea of a good night!

I dislike the way in which alcohol is given as an acceptable excuse for criminal and/or anti-social behaviour, as in, "the defendant had drunk 11 pints of beer, and cannot remember breaking and entering the house, m'lord". The only exception I can think of is drink driving, where it is rightly not an acceptable reason for being involved in an traffic "incident".

 

[I like Skol]

I dislike the way in which alcohol is given as an acceptable excuse for criminal and/or anti-social behaviour, as in, "the defendant had drunk 11 pints of beer, and cannot remember breaking and entering the house, m'lord". The only exception I can think of is drink driving.

Not sure if I am reading your post correctly here but I'm sure I must be mistaken because to me it reads as though you are saying being drunk IS an acceptable excuse for drunk driving!!!!!

 

[BoldonLad]

Not sure if I am reading your post correctly here but I'm sure I must be mistaken because to me it reads as though you are saying being drunk IS an acceptable excuse for drunk driving!!!!!

Sorry if my poor communication skills gave you that impression.

I see what you mean, I shall edit.

To me, having consumed too much alcohol (or drugs) is never an excuse for criminal/antisocial behaviour.

My point was, that it is often given as (and accepted as) an excuse.

I am also old enough to remember life before the current drink driving laws. Disgraceful though it may seem now, being able to consume significant amounts of alcohol, and then drive home, was regarded as a "good thing". Subsequent changes to the law and adjustment of "social attitudes" have made such behaviour socially unacceptable (thankfully). It would be good, IMHO, if a similar shift in opinion occurred in relation to all drink (and drug) related "bad" behaviour.

 

[MarkF]

I don't buy it, the increase in violence. There are places in the Leeds/Bradford conurbation l wouldn't choose to walk in late at night, drug areas, doubt they are any more violent than 40 years ago.

I am always out 4 or 5 nights a week "socialising" I've not noticed any increase in aggressive behaviour in the UK and until 4 years ago l worked nationwide.

I think it's imagination. Like if you go to Barcelona or Naples, you get told not to go in La Raval or the Spanish Qtr, so you do and everything is fine.

 

[Blue Hills]

I think it's imagination. Like if you go to Barcelona or Naples, you get told not to go in La Raval or the Spanish Qtr, so you do and everything is fine.

Agree - and apart from some folk outside london saying it's violent as hell you get some folk saying that certain areas are uber dangerous. In truth you are as likely to get attacked by a street crazy in the supposedly posher more respectable bits.

And the most nastiness I ever come across is when I stray into some bits of the cchat politics bit - and even that has improved.

 

[nickyboy]

I don't buy it, the increase in violence. There are places in the Leeds/Bradford conurbation l wouldn't choose to walk in late at night, drug areas, doubt they are any more violent than 40 years ago.

I am always out 4 or 5 nights a week "socialising" I've not noticed any increase in aggressive behaviour in the UK and until 4 years ago l worked nationwide.

I think it's imagination. Like if you go to Barcelona or Naples, you get told not to go in La Raval or the Spanish Qtr, so you do and everything is fine.

I agree. In this time of 24 hour news, the internet and social media we all become much more aware of incidents of violence. In addition, I think that some benefit from raising the profile of violence to further their own agenda. Unfortunately we get sucked into this idea that we are living in a dystopian, violent society rather than that peaceful idyll we grew up in. We aren't. It's pretty much as it's always been.

 

[BoldonLad]

Agree - and apart from some folk outside london saying it's violent as hell you get some folk saying that certain areas are uber dangerous. In truth you are as likely to get attacked by a street crazy in the supposedly posher more respectable bits.

And the most nastiness I ever come across is when I stray into some bits of the cchat politics bit - and even that has improved.

Very true, definite lack of tolerance, at the least

I agree. In this time of 24 hour news, the internet and social media we all become much more aware of incidents of violence. In addition, I think that some benefit from raising the profile of violence to further their own agenda. Unfortunately we get sucked into this idea that we are living in a dystopian, violent society rather than that peaceful idyll we grew up in. We aren't. It's pretty much as it's always been.

Agreed.

There is a FaceBook Page for "memories" of a certain town/suburb near where I live.

By it's nature, it is frequented by "oldies", like me.

Today, there is a thread going the rounds about "the good old days of having uncontrolled dogs roaming everywhere, cr**ing, fighting, biting postmen etc etc". I must say, I do not recall anything on the scale "reminisced" about, but, "good old days?" I think not, IMHO, there is often a need to remove your rose tinted spectacles before speaking of the "good old days".

Now, where are my spectacles..........

 

[12boy]

This was an interesting post, as I had never thought of the UK as particularly violent. There are huge variations by location here in the US but we don't have hands on violence as you do. We do have guns, especially assault rifles, concealed carry pistols, so we can kill without physically touching someone. And we can kill many at the same time. Our news is full of mass murders and attacks, especially at schools by children on other children. Although we've not had such an attack in Wyoming yet, there have been legislators advocating teachers should be armed. Like abortion, gun rights are a polarizing topic in this country . Meth is a big factor here, although I am sure alcohol has a big role in household and sexual violence. The noted early sociologist, Emile Durkheim, postulated that the occurrence of factors such as suicide, violence, crime and mental illness were directly correlated to how well a culture supports the basic human needs of the people that make up the culture. I've learned one need I believe everyone, regardless of gender, age, religion, economic position or any other criteria has... the need to feel they matter. Once I realized this it was easier to get along with other people.

 

[Drago]

I thought federal law banned automatic rifles (ie, assault rifles) u less they had been modified to semi auto only (ie, SLR's)?

 

[Drago]

Wouldn't that posit that a large part of the UK population suddenly decided to let itself go in the last ten years, for no apparent reason? It would also seem to suggest that in the 1930's everyone in the UK and US did the same, only to pull themselves together in time for world war 2.

I'm not trying to straw man you, honestly, it just seems an odd argument.

I've heard it suggested that poverty of itself doesn't cause violence, but inequality does.

It's cool, I know you're not straw manning me. That's a genuine and fair question.

I spent most of my professional career dealing with herberts who lived in poverty because their persistent criminality made them unemployable. In short, that's the lifestyle they chose.

I forget the exact stats, but back in the day it was reckoned 100 of these individuals accounted for something in the order of 70% of all crime in the county.

Over 80% of violent crime had alcohol as a factor, not poverty.

Over 90% of acquisitive crime had alcohol and/or drugs as a factor, not poverty.

There will of course be people out their who commit theft because of unfortunate circumstances or poverty. I have met them. I have spent my own money on food and a pair of trainers for one of them, had a whip round with other officers to buy food for others. While I've been out the game for a few years now I'd still be comfortable in saying that those who commit acquisitive crime through genuine hardship is still the minority, and even then poverty is no excuse of justification for violent crime of any type.

 

[Andy in Germany]

It's cool, I know you're not straw manning me. That's a genuine and fair question.

I spent most of my professional career dealing with herberts who lived in poverty because their persistent criminality made them unemployable. In short, that's the lifestyle they chose.

I forget the exact stats, but back in the day it was reckoned 100 of these individuals accounted for something in the order of 70% of all crime in the county.

Over 80% of violent crime had alcohol as a factor, not poverty.

Over 90% of acquisitive crime had alcohol and/or drugs as a factor, not poverty.

There will of course be people out their who commit theft because of unfortunate circumstances or poverty. I have met them. I have spent my own money on food and a pair of trainers for one of them, had a whip round with other officers to buy food for others. While I've been out the game for a few years now I'd still be comfortable in saying that those who commit acquisitive crime through genuine hardship is still the minority, and even then poverty is no excuse of justification for violent crime of any type.

Fair enough, from your explanation I think I misunderstood your original post slightly, but what you say makes sense.

I saw a similar phenomenon where I worked, although we had a mix of generally unemployed, ill and miscreants, so I suspect on a Venn diagram there's be a lot of crossover with the people you dealt with. The ones sent to use were supposed to be ready to work out why they got into a rut of persistent substance abuse, poverty or criminality in the first place, and help them get out again.

Some of the clients were happy to have a chance to get themselves out of said rut, because they'd not chosen it, but of course we got a few who couldn't be bothered, and some couldn't understand what we were talking about and thought that we, the police and everyone else should just leave them alone because they were who they were and society should just accept it. Favourite phrase: "Stop pressuring me. I don't do drugs any more. Not me. That's all behind me. I'm clean, not like these other druggies here".
(Pause)
"I smoke weed, obviously".

 

[MarkF]

I agree. In this time of 24 hour news, the internet and social media we all become much more aware of incidents of violence. In addition, I think that some benefit from raising the profile of violence to further their own agenda. Unfortunately we get sucked into this idea that we are living in a dystopian, violent society rather than that peaceful idyll we grew up in. We aren't. It's pretty much as it's always been.

That's it! I posted previously about being coerced into joining a neighbourhood watch scheme, I was bombarded with msg's keeping me up to date with every crime reported locally, yikes, scary stuff! De-listed myself and my life went back to normal, nothing is happening.....my motorbike was being stolen from my garage last December and my neighbours posted live time reports on Facebook instead of contacting the police or......ME. The modern world.

 

[Andy in Germany]

That's it! I posted previously about being coerced into joining a neighbourhood watch scheme, I was bombarded with msg's keeping me up to date with every crime reported locally, yikes, scary stuff! De-listed myself and my life went back to normal, nothing is happening.....my motorbike was being stolen from my garage last December and my neighbours posted live time reports on Facebook instead of contacting the police or......ME. The modern world.

Perhaps that's how they understand "Neighbourhood Watch" they were watching, after all.