With a big bunch of government cuts imminent, what's the chances of them hitting our chav contingent where it hurts? I've noticed these people increasing throughout the country over the last 10-15 years and their 'progress' seems unstoppable. Apart from perhaps our numbskull trendy middleclass dickheads (you know, 3 kids and dog on foot, mum and dad with one papoose each) the chavs are breeding at an alarming rate. Can the planet take all this procreation? And why should it have to in the case of these irresponsible earthlings? Chavs do nowt and are basically not interested in ANYTHING if it doesn't involve drink, drugs, smoking, sex or violence in some form or other. They generally seem to get-off by intimidating proper humans as an additional form of entertainment (their idea of entertainment is NOT likely to be Springwatch or Michael Portillo's train journeys). Chavs are just about in control of all the social space in this country and something needs to be done.
Benefit cuts. There are certain to be cutbacks on Welfare coming, as this is where the new government perceives large savings can be made. But which benefits will be targeted precisely, and how will the qualifying criteria be changed to penalise the worst offenders? To my mind the worst offenders are mainly chavs. So if the government is going to be fair it must start by hitting those people who have no legitimate reason for claiming a benefit. Jobseeker's Allowance should mean just that: the claimant is actually trying to find work. And one way of knowing if this is true is surely just by LOOKING at the claimant. Some of the clientele in Jobcentre Plus points look as if they haven't washed for months, and their dress code and attitude is enough to deter any prospective employer just as soon as they appear for interview.
A revolutionary re-training plan. This would be my answer to the chav problem. Set up centres around the country, any unused large space(s) which can be transformed quite cheaply into areas of discipline and social skills/practical skills training. The staff would be drawn from tough ex-army/police ranks with certain necessary skills in dealing with 'attitude' types. Where individuals have been assessed as 'non-legitimate' they must sign up for a period of this re-training or forfeit their benefit for a similar period. The period could be, say 3-4 months. If at the end of a period the re-training supervisor considers the client is still not suitably re-trained he then notifies the relevant Jobcentre that another period should be started. The length of attendance hours each day would be similar to weekday work hours (9am-5pm or similar). This would certainly get a lot of these people off the streets whilst rehabilitating many of them at the same time. The cost of such a programme would be very reasonable I would expect, as the crime statistics would reduce (along with the costs these incur) and jobs would be created through establishing and operating the new centres.
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- http://www.jenniferhunter.co.uk
- 2010-06-14 @ 14:14:53
I had to look up Chavs to see exactly what it meant and it means Council Housed and Violent...It is a depressing problem in the areas where they live because they must make life very difficult for their neighbourhoods. Doesn't sound like a bad idea to try to retrain them into getting some discipline in their lives but think the women probably need training as well in how to be better parents. I'm not knocking these women...I know from experience how difficult it can be to discipline your children and to make them do things they really don't want to do like go to school. Our son really hated school and found every possible means of avoiding being in it even though he set off for school every morning...so this isn't just a problem for chavs, it's across the board...the problem of long term unemployment however isn't...this does seem to be a problem restricted to certain areas of the country and you have to ask, is it the lack of jobs in the area that is the real problem or the unemployability of the people concerned? I don't know the answer to that question, but if the former, then it's up to governments and businesses to make sure that work is provided for these individuals after a period of retraining to get them into the habit of getting up regularly and learning teamwork.
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- 2010-06-14 @ 15:07:01
Thanks for your comments, Jen. I don't think for a minute it's down to a lack of jobs with these people. Their lifestyle doesn't include the notion of getting up and going to work as such. What they do mostly is hang out with their mates, having a drink and a smoke and a laugh. This 'having a laugh' includes anti-social behaviour like annoying/intimidating anyone who isn't like them. The trouble is the problem has been left to fester for far too long, so to get these types back-on-track in mainstream society will be a tricky task. But the job has to start somewhere, hence my 'master plan'. The whole problem is very complex of course, and will need more thought than I've managed so far. But recently a police chief commented that some of these people's parents' life skills were so bad 'they would burn a salad'. So the mums and dads carry a lot of blame.
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- http://middleagedbloke.com
- 2010-06-14 @ 15:40:52
So in a nutshell you are suggesting a form of National service. I can not disagree with this idea. Another however is to make booze un affordable to them. In otherwords stop the supermarkets from selling cheap booze! Or at least bung a 200% tax on sales from said outlets.
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- 2010-06-14 @ 17:29:01
Nigel, long time no see!
More a type of 'Boot Camp' than National service I think, though with a more detailed programme structure. One of the problems attached to many of these people is petty crime, especially if they're doing some drug or other. I'm thinking seek to 'recondition' the current teen crop, with also a view to bringing youngsters (say, 10 years and under)into their teen years with an operational set of social and practical skills. In the old tribal systems the young males on the edge of puberty underwent a conditioning ritual set out and overseen by the male elders. We don't have anything like that in modern western society, and the family structure we DO have is largely disfunctional. Simply putting up prices on booze wouldn't address the root problem. -
- 2010-06-14 @ 17:40:00
Reply, part 2.
When I wrote the 'Chavs' post I had in mind an age group of generally 15-23 plus. This group is basically 'adult', so getting them to change long-held habits will be a challenge. The re-training centres would be specifically aimed at changing (to some extent) these people.-
- 2010-06-26 @ 01:06:10
Have you read Clockwork Orange? Sounds similar to what you're proposing. But to an extent i agree with you. I lived in York until i was 24 and never once had trouble with any reckless youths (at least not serious trouble) but then i moved to Hastings/ St Leonards to start my university course. Well, within a week 3 of my new friends had been beaten up and mugged by chavs (one of them was a girl who was beaten up by a group of male chavs).
Now we are often too aware of the realities of this sub-culture to even have the courage to walk to the shop alone at night. There are often rapes, muggings and violent attacks in the area.-
- 2010-06-26 @ 08:55:09
The situation has been left to deteriorate for far too long, so that now it will be even harder to put right (if it can be). As you demonstrate, Ronkeytonk, there is a dangerous subculture basically going unchecked/unpunished which needs reining in. And sooner rather than later because it's growing.
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- 2010-06-14 @ 17:44:51
woooow.....
Perhaps a little less generalisation and stigmatisation ?
"Chavs are just about in control of all the social space in this country and something needs to be done"
err....not in my inner city dwelling that was once, some years ago a by word for crime and not in many others too
I'm not trying to pretend that all is hunk dory by the way
But "Broken Britain" was dreamt up by an ad agency rather than being based on real life and just because a young person wears a hoodie it does not make them either a criminal, a drug addict or a violent person
There's good and bad in all walks and ages
by the way Chavs is a corruption of a word used to stigmatise romany folk - the "council housed and violent" came after the use of the word not before...
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- 2010-06-14 @ 18:15:58
Hi uomo, welcome to the discussion!
I wouldn't use the term "Broken Britain" myself as it's a trendy but disproportionate soundbite term. And I didn't refer to 'hoodies', although some of the people I term 'chavs' do wear them. But a hood-top to me is more a fashion statement than a criminal uniform. I've lived in a number of places around mainland Britain: Scotland (Edinburgh,Stirling,Alloa); England (Newcastle,Morecambe Bay,Worcester,and for a few months Hounslow in London), so my views are gleaned from more than one area. I agree with you about my generalising a bit, but not about the stigmatising. The people I'm on about bring criticism (and stigma, if you like) on themselves by their attitude and behaviour. I didn't know about the Romany connection to Chav. I live and learn (as usual).
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- 2010-06-14 @ 18:25:36
fairdos Oldjimbob
I suppose in my , somewhat uotpian view, I would have liked the last government - because there is not a chance in hell of the current government doing it - to set up a ministry for public works which would act as the employer of the young enough, fit enough long term unemployed to not only put their time to good use, but also address some long term infrastructure problems we have ( roads, social housing etc )
Wages at similar to benefit levels and some skills at the end of it
So for all my comment I don't think we're that far apart...
Won't happen now though - cutsville is where we're headed
And taking the little bit that some have away wouldn't necessarily propel them into work....
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- 2010-06-14 @ 18:38:59
We're essentially in agreement, uomo. There's certainly a need for a government body in this hot-potato field, but it's not likely to be set up anytime soon.

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