How to Deal with Bad Kids in the Neighborhood
Make Yourself Known
One of the best things you can do without upsetting anyone in the neighborhood is making your presence known to the neighborhood kids. Kids in the neighborhood are less likely to act up if they know there's a watchful adult eye near by. You can do simple things to make yourself known. If you see the kids behaving badly you can simply step out onto the porch and give them the angry adult stare to show them you mean business. If this doesn't stop them and they continue with their behavior, sternly tell them that's not appropriate behavior and you are willing to tell their parents.
Show Your Authority
If making yourself known doesn't work, it's time you put your authority as an adult into motion. It's time to approach the kids parents. This has to be handled delicately because no parent likes to hear their angel was being unruly. Approach the parent in a friendly way and keep the conversation as friendly as possible. Although you may be upset, making accusations and yelling will get you no where. Do not accuse the kids, threaten the parents, or raise your voice in any way. Simply tell the parents what you witnessed or what you concern is. In most cases the parents are grateful to know what their children have been up to.
Alert the Authorities
If the previous two tips don't work, don't hesitate to involve the police authorities. Only involve the police authorities if the children are putting themselves or others in danger. It the neighborhood kids are acting violently, vandalizing, or committing any other crime and the parents don't react, don't hesitate to include police involvement.
No one likes to be the bad guy on the neighborhood but it's better than dealing with broken windows and other obstacles caused by bad neighborhood kids. You never know, the parents may actually be grateful someone is keeping a watchful eye over their children while their backs are turned.
Published by Alyssa Ast
Alyssa Ast is a freelance writer, journalist, and author of The Fundamentals of SEO for the Average Joe. Alyssa is the co-founder of the WM Network, which includes the WM Freelance Writer's Connection. View profile
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6 Comments
Post a CommentThe problem, in many cases IS the parents...mothers in particular! I am a older single lady living in what was once a quiet neighborhood of seniors with one or two grown children. As the taxes have becime too much for us, most have moved out and sold their homes to families with five and six children where the mother stays home and spends much of her day screaming profanity at them. thereare an inordinate number of 10-13 year old boys who have singled me out to terrorize, and when I have said anything to the mothers....They start screaming at ME! I HAVE gotten police involved , because there has been damage to mty car and my home and I am afraid to even weed my own garden because these parents ENCOURAGE their kids to harrass me! The police say ai have to be able to prove which kid did damage, so I have started photographing them. Then I had a mother come charging across my lawn because I was photographing her kid in the act ....I feel like I live in the wild west and guess what? I am buying a gun!
Contd' from above - street, and low and behold some of those same kids were there, and proceeded to shout across the street at me saying not to stare at them. I yelled back that this is my porch and I can do what I want...then the word pedophile was shouted across the street at me.....well my blood boiled and I went over to find which one of the punks would say such a vile thing. needless to say, its cops and parents that I will be dealing with from here on in
Thanks, I have started documenting things as they happen, there are about 8-10 of them in the area that are completely disrespectful, they are in about grade 6-7 and therefore older than my two boys. There has been some bullying issues. It was easter sunday, and I had a group of people over (2 brothers in law, father in law etc). We live in a row house which has a common area in behind it when all of these kids showed up and took over the place sending my kids packing. Well, these kids dont even live in the complex, so my wife at first approached them, informed them that they dont live here and this isnt their back yard, and to share the space. It escalated from there with my brother in law witnessing more bullying and going over (he's 6 foot 6 or so) and the kids moved off for a bit. They came back shortly after and all of the cat calling and "f/u's" began. I ran them off myself that time. Later that same day these same kids were throwing rocks at eachother across th
We have a group of kids in our neighborhood that do nothing but terrorize our community! One of the kids live right next to me and there parents think there kids do no wrong,well they are wrng and also that is why he kid act like that!! We have talked to there parent 2 to 3 times nd the kids just got worse so now we just call the police!! Mind you half the people in our community care about there kids and property and the other does not ,bu we are ones whom care !! Well these kids run through our yard and flowers and driveall the time !! I have had lights knocked off my house my mothe-n-laws car was scratched up just constant stuff that don't need to happen! If we go outside and ak the nicely to stop pulling our trees down an to respect our property ,the kids curse us and the disrespect gets worse! Today My wife had aske them 3 times politely to espect our proper or go home! Thre was about 20 kids out there cursing er up and down one side and the other!! I let her handel it till then!
My experance has biin that the kids have parents that allways deny anything said about their kids, Insted thy start argur with me. So now when the kids spray paint or do other damage I file a police complaint. this was advised by the police to bettter protect me in the future.
Great article! I live in a neighborhood that is swarming with kids, only a few of which are actually troublesome. This is helpful!