# How ought communities react to youth "takeovers"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2025, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748 "2025-07-11T19:17:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/41 "2025-07-12T01:05:01Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > Funny–I just cranked _Quadrophenia_ last night for the first time in a long time. What a fantastic album! But, of course, it’s mostly about English gangs on scooters taking drugs and staging fights on the beach For those who aren’t familiar, here’s an illustrative clip from the movie: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8E4znu82XhE/hqdefault.jpg "Quadrophenia We Mods") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E4znu82XhE) ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/42 "2025-07-12T01:35:01Z")
why the handwringing over the racial aspect in the OP? The kids trespassed and created public disturbances. Have the police break it up and send them home. What is the concern? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/43 "2025-07-12T02:44:33Z")
This sounds like a variation of “flash robs”, which have been a big problem in some areas. > **[Flash rob](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_rob)** > > A flash rob, also known as a multiple offender crime or flash mob robbery, is an organized form of theft in which a group of participants enter a retail shop or convenience store en masse and steal goods and other items. Typically, store workers and employees in these cases quickly become overwhelmed by the large number of participants and cannot stop the theft. > The National Retail Federation does not classify these crimes as "flash mobs" but rather "multiple offender crimes" that utilize "flas... ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/44 "2025-07-12T02:58:49Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > why the handwringing over the racial aspect in the OP? The kids trespassed and created public disturbances. Have the police break it up and send them home. What is the concern? I don’t know if you’ve been following the news for the last few years, but there’s been some tensions when it comes to interactions between African Americans and law enforcement. Even right now, there’s additional tension created by federal law enforcement seemingly targeting brown people. There some handwringing over the racial aspect for good reason I think. And we’re not just talking about a few kids, we’re talking about a lot of young people, and any time you’re dealing with a crowd you have to take care. Even if most of them are decent people, crowds have a way of getting out of control. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/45 "2025-07-12T05:04:53Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I prefer my kids be taught to respect the authority/rules and others property, by me. Not law enforcement. > It starts when they are meer babies. [![](https://i.imgur.com/oPq2KyS.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/oPq2KyS.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/46 "2025-07-12T06:41:37Z")
Awwww. Yeah yeah, my nits been picked…now I want a Meercat babbie ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/47 "2025-07-12T09:37:04Z")
Isn’t this just a novel form of civil disorder? > **[Civil disorder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disorder)** > > Civil disorder, also known as civil disturbance, civil unrest, civil strife, or turmoil, are situations when law enforcement and security forces struggle to maintain public order or tranquility. > Any number of things may cause civil disorder, whether it is a single cause or a combination of causes; however, most are born from political grievances, economic disparities, social discord, but historically have been the result of long-standing oppression by a group of people towards another. > Civil di... ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/48 "2025-07-12T11:23:06Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > why the handwringing over the racial aspect in the OP? No handwringing on my part. Just observing as to the racial dynamics in case anyone thought that significant. > [@Alessan](#): > > Isn’t this just a novel form of civil disorder? I see that quote does not specify that “protest” must be involved. I don’t know that the folk involved in these actions are presenting any specific greivances. So yeah - they are civil (nonviolent) and disorderly. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/49 "2025-07-12T15:01:11Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I don’t know if you’ve been following the news for the last few years, but there’s been some tensions when it comes to interactions between African Americans and law enforcement. Even right now, there’s additional tension created by federal law enforcement seemingly targeting brown people. There some handwringing over the racial aspect for good reason I think. I understand all that. But do you think there is a difference in how this situation should be handled if the youths were primarily black vs primarily white? If not, then reasons for emphasizing the racial aspects of it don’t seem particularly relevant. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/50 "2025-07-12T15:02:41Z")
So the question should be, what can communities do to encourage their young people to do this kind of thing? As partying is declining massively in younger generations with massive negative implications for society (such as rising loneliness) > **[The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters](https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-death-of-partying-in-the-usaand)** > > Young Americans today spend 70 percent less time attending or hosting parties than they did at the beginning of the 21st century. Why? ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/51 "2025-07-12T15:11:22Z")
Here is a Monty Python solution: ‘[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y\_sXxZVPxg8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_sXxZVPxg8)’ ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/52 "2025-07-12T16:18:36Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > So the question should be, what can communities do to encourage their young people to do this kind of thing? Say _what_? We should _encourage_ young people to break into places? > [@griffin1977](#): > > As partying is declining massively in younger generations with massive negative implications for society (such as rising loneliness) My generation partied plenty, and I can assure you we never had to _break into somewhere_ to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/53 "2025-07-12T16:21:14Z")
I always hated parties. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/54 "2025-07-12T16:28:57Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > As partying is declining massively in younger generations with massive negative implications for society (such as rising loneliness) While the last bit of this statement (rising loneliness) is, indeed, an issue in American society, that article is about “parties” in the sense of going to someone’s house, or a public place, to play games, watch movies, celebrate an event, etc. “Takeovers” are only “parties” in the vaguest sense, and encouraging younger people to get out of the house **and engage in civil disorder** isn’t in any way an approach that’s healthy for a society. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/55 "2025-07-12T16:44:13Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > the question should be, what can communities do to encourage their young people to do this kind of thing? What the fuck? **No one** should be encouraging this type of behavior. A mob of 100+ teens breaking into a place to fuck around is _not_ a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/56 "2025-07-12T17:37:13Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Meh kids of today don’t know how easy they got it. Back in my day if you wanted several hundred unruly youths to turn up at a particular place and time you needed to work for it. We had to use actual IRL social networks to spread the news from person to person. CAN YOU DIG IT?? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/57 "2025-07-12T19:18:57Z")
Well, rurally the kids have no recreational facilities. So they go swimming in gravel pits. Somebody drowns regularly. Or they ride back roads in crappy vehicles and all manner of disasters occur. Maybe they take paint guns and chase each other thru the woods at somebody’s deer camp. (Hopefully no ding bat hunter left real guns and ammo out there 🤔) Then they bounce up to cooking meth in abandoned old houses and blow themselves up. Or turn creepy as heck and start yanking young girls off lawns in town. Yeah. It’s tough allover. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/58 "2025-07-12T19:51:19Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > > [@griffin1977](#): > > > > Back in my day if you wanted several hundred unruly youths to turn up at a particular place and time you needed to work for it. [snip] > > CAN YOU DIG IT?? There was this ancient thing called a telephone. People used to talk to each other on it, if you can believe that? No texting or l33tsp3@k in those days. I’m probably showing my age, since that itself is now oldster history, I expect? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/59 "2025-07-12T19:53:20Z")
Well, I know I got the reference and enjoyed it ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2025, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748/60 "2025-07-13T01:00:10Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@griffin1977](#): > > > > So the question should be, what can communities do to encourage their young people to do this kind of thing? > > Say _what_? We should _encourage_ young people to break into places? > > > [@griffin1977](#): > > > > As partying is declining massively in younger generations with massive negative implications for society (such as rising loneliness) > > My generation partied plenty, and I can assure you we never had to _break into somewhere_ to do it. Well…occasionally we had to. 😃 Civic disobedience and partying aren’t mutually exclusive. From my historic family trips to Boston, Philly, and Colonial Williamsburg, seems like the founding fathers spent half their time building our nation while getting shit-faced in various pubs, inns, taverns, and each other’s homes. The lack of partying makes me sad though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-ought-communities-react-to-youth-takeovers/1020748.md?page=4)