So, some teenage kid got stabbed a few streets away from me and they assumed it was a teenager that stabbed him. God forbid it was an adult, but whats this? He had been stabbed by a 40 year old man.
Now that a few crimes happen to have been commited by teens (most "teenage" crime is commited by 20+ year olds*) people automatically assume that we do everything.
Most teenagers are more worried about exams, friends and appearance, not stabbing other kids! And now, people are scared of teenagers and are surprised when we offer a seat on a bus to an old lady!!!

*I don't understand why 20 year olds killing each other is filed under teenagers in the news...its getting on my nerves!

1) Why do adults feel the need to blame teenagers for EVERYTHING bad?
2) Do they not realise that some of them were teenagers not that long ago (say 15 years when teenage crime started to become prominent)?
3) What about all the stuff about adults, does that just go amiss?
4) Have you suffered from prejudice because of it?

1) Crime is a very big problem among teenagers. I'm not entirely sure why, whether it's their susceptibility to peer pressure, the need to prove themselves, the myopic way they tend to view the future, that same idea of their own indestructibility that gets so many of them killed, hormones, or something else entirely. The way you're describing it, one would think that juvenile detention centers are completely empty.

2) Yes, they were, and a fair few of them broke the law, whether or not they got caught.

3) I'm hoping you're simply being reactionary and aren't that sheltered. Age is probably the least common basis of profiling. I'd venture to say the top two are economic status and race, and both tend to affect adults as much as, if not more than, teenagers. I honestly can't think of the last time I heard of a case in which age was even mentioned, let alone baselessly assumed.

Also, as to your example, I think you're seeing a problem where there isn't one. Most murders are not completely random, so that leaves either a mugging (it's usually readily apparent whether or not that's the case) or a killing based on some sort of conflict or hostility. For the most part, people get involved with those their own age, not a generation ahead or behind them. The first place people look is generally the victims circle of friends and acquaintances, and I can pretty much guarantee that most, if not all, will be around his age. I think their assumption was justified, even if it turned out to be incorrect.

^ I agree with you and would also like to add something else.

The problem with adults is that they DO remember being a teenager. In fact, that might even influence my view of teenagers. I'm not a troublemaker, but as a teenager, I did all kinds of immature, stupid things that I would never do now. I wouldn't assume that teenagers were all criminals though or anything and I know there's lots of very mature teenagers out there.

People hate teenagers/young adults because teenagers/young adults do more crime. =P And teenagers/young adults are more likely to dress the way they'll act than adults. I mean, no offense anyone, but teenagers/young adults that wear big baggy hoodies and huge jeans look suspicious, and half of them are older than me.
I don't think discrimination based on age is a problem unless you look like a hoodlum. I don't dress like a hoodlum and I'm polite to people and I've never ever had problems with age discrimination.

Originally Posted by Hermes

People hate teenagers/young adults because teenagers/young adults do more crime. =P And teenagers/young adults are more likely to dress the way they'll act than adults. I mean, no offense anyone, but teenagers/young adults that wear big baggy hoodies and huge jeans look suspicious, and half of them are older than me.
I don't think discrimination based on age is a problem unless you look like a hoodlum. I don't dress like a hoodlum and I'm polite to people and I've never ever had problems with age discrimination.

So the way people dress automatically mark them as a criminal? I wasn't aware that people had to be primp and proper to be considered a civil citizen.

Anyway.
Many youth crimes can be prevented. So maybe if people stopped pointing and blaming and started fixing this at the source of the problem [most youth crimes are committed by troubled youth from troubled homes], than there wouldn't be such a harsh stereotype against them.

Originally Posted by Hermes

People hate teenagers/young adults because teenagers/young adults do more crime. =P And teenagers/young adults are more likely to dress the way they'll act than adults. I mean, no offense anyone, but teenagers/young adults that wear big baggy hoodies and huge jeans look suspicious, and half of them are older than me.
I don't think discrimination based on age is a problem unless you look like a hoodlum. I don't dress like a hoodlum and I'm polite to people and I've never ever had problems with age discrimination.

Much as I don't care for Anarathiel's tone, I really don't like yours, either. "Dress the way they'll act"? Well, sure, if you're assuming everyone who wears certain clothes acts a certain way. And before I make any assumptions, why exactly do you find that style "suspicious"? Considering how popular it is, I'm not sure why it would even stand out to you.

Also, I may be mistaken, but you seem to be suggesting that discrimination and unfair suspicion based on appearance is perfectly fine. I realize that clothes can be changed whilst race cannot, but it's still applying a stereotype to everyone who looks like such-and-such and assuming they're "bad" while others are "good", and furthermore it's blaming the victim for the stupidity of the people stereotyping. How is that not a negative thing?

First of all, I'm not saying that people should discriminate based on the way people dress. I'm just saying that people who dress like that tend to be more of the persuasion to be, shall I say rougher individuals. No, they're not all criminals, not even close, and yes, other people are criminals too.
I suppose my post was harsh though. I didn't mean to be like that. I meant to say that people who dress like that are more likely to be hoodlums, because lower income and everything. I guess I did straight up say they were hoodlums, and that's wrong.

Ah, alright. Well, it's still somewhat presumptuous (I've seen clothes like that for sale that cost far more than what I'd ever spend on clothing), but that's a fair bit better.

And I wasn't suggesting that you thought people should discriminate based on dress, but rather excusing them from doing so. I guess it strikes a nerve with me because I've often heard that very same argument to justify discriminating against people with modifications -- you choose to look like that, and since some of the people who look like that are criminals, you're obviously choosing that appearance for a reason, therefore it's fair to assume you're like them. I reacted a little emotionally, and I apologize.

I haven't made a comment on this topic so far because to me it feels a little silly. Not only does the OP make wildly exaggerated and highly reactionary statements, but Phil pretty much outlines exactly what's wrong with them in her first post here. There isn't much to debate here, in my opinion, if you base it entirely off the original point of view.

I think it would be nice if we had some actual figures for the rise in teen crime. Also, are we referring to all "teens" when we say teen crime or teens under the legal age of 18? And what does "youth crime" cover - people under their 20s? Under their 30s? What? Cos I don't know about you, but anyone under 30 is still pretty young.

Do we know at what age you can first be convicted of a felony? Because you know, a lot of CHILDREN commit crimes, but can't be prosecuted due to their age. The exception in my country were the Bulger killers, who have recently attracted widespread attention again because one was released and given a new identity as an adult despite his atrocious crime and went on to reoffend by distributing child pornography. They say that the authorities should have realised he had a "criminal mind" and would go on to reoffend, particularly sexually due to the sexual nature of the killing. (Anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about should google "Jamie Bulger.")

On the topic of L'Etranger, or The Stranger, which Facade has mentioned (EDIT Oh damn, just realised she actually mentioned it in another thread similar to this one >3> my bad), the trial scene shows the prosecutor talk in detail about Meursault's "manque d'ame," or, in English, lack of soul. The prosecution's argument is largely based on the fact that because Meursault showed little remorse at his mother's funeral... well, the quote in English runs that, when challenged by Meursault's defense with "Is he on trial for having buried his mother or for having murdered a man?" the prosecution replies "On the contrary, I accuse this man of having buried his mother with the heart of a criminal." Is it possible to have a criminal soul? Will children who commit crimes always go on to reoffend? What are the factors surrounding this mentality - is it a poor upbringing, or can people be 'born evil?'

....Man, I did NOT intend to write this much.

Um.. I'm 18, dress in anything from baggy clothes, to slutty clothes, to 'normal' clothes (normal being a very strange word, but I'm sure people will understand what I mean... blend into the crowd kinda clothes). And I've never had any one assume anything about me. Even when I dress like a goth, people don't treat me like one... Maybe I'm just exempt from stereo types....

I find that most problems, (at least in my city) authorities first look for for people in their mid to late twenties, rather than teenagers..

Originally Posted by Philomel

And I wasn't suggesting that you thought people should discriminate based on dress, but rather excusing them from doing so.

But it did sound like I was.

Syraannabelle, I find that people (not as much authorities, they're smarter, but like shopkeeps and such) are most likely to pin it on brown people. Indians, Siehks, Pakistanis... I don't know why. Maybe it's my neighbourhood.

hm... odd... see in my area it's those people that run a lot of the little shops....

Oh same here. I guess shopkeep wasn't the right word. I mean like, the people that work in like, electronics stores. Bigger stores, you know?

hmm... maybe it's a 'were you live' kinda thing. In Saskatoon, Sk, there is very rarely problems like that... at least, that have come to my attention....

People around here are to busy having fun at gay pride parades, and the broadway street fair and things like that... There is very rarely racial or even age specific accusations... like I said though, that I've noticed... there could be a lot of things happening that I don't know about.

Saskatoon isn't a very large city. I like to think small places tend to either be way more accepting, or way less accepting. In a bigger city there's so much going on it really depends where you are.

Originally Posted by Anarathiel

1) Why do adults feel the need to blame teenagers for EVERYTHING bad?
2) Do they not realise that some of them were teenagers not that long ago (say 15 years when teenage crime started to become prominent)?
3) What about all the stuff about adults, does that just go amiss?
4) Have you suffered from prejudice because of it?

1. Maybe the 'older' adults don't even know who to blame and they might think that it is easier to blame teenagers.

2.Well yeah they forget easily that they were teenagers as well. (My cousin wife who is only 7 yrs older than me says that I'm still a kid and I'm just a magnet for trouble)

3. Most likely it does...Some adults are considered prominent people of the community and they can't seem to do no wrong... What I don't get is that adults are also ones that commit crimes but aren't always convicted of it..

4. Well yeah I have my mum and think that I can't live on my own and I can get in trouble if I move out of the house..(I'm 20 years old..

On another note people in the age range of 16-25 who do get cars or phone plans always pay more than a 30-40 year old who b uys a car and or phone...