echunda said...default said..Interesting piece prawndog but definitely true. Although I have some tatts (way before they became a bogan stamp) and I think I turned out ok

Agree being cool is so important to kids. It always has been. I think we need to look back at what made the coolest kid back when we were at school, before acting like a retard became the bomb. Also agree a good child/person starts with a good parent.
Being good at sport is the answer - they were the cool ones and still are to a degree. Prioritize getting our kids into sport and hopefully it gels and they'll be on their way to a life where a proactive healthy passion dominates their thinking.
Yes,
Sports 'stars' are model citizens.
How many are drug addicts?
How many have been charged with drunken voilence and rape?
If you think sport is the only answer your a little short sighted.
I was wondering when someone was going to play this card, haha. I don't know the figures but I imagine its a fairly low percentage (of rape, violence, murder etc) when compared to occurrences in the general public and of course you'll always hear when a "star" turns bad. However, the issue you raise can probably be blamed more on fame, money and celebrity than the sport they play. You also have to put it in perspective.. There are bad eggs in every batch, you only have to look as far as the Catholic Church to find anomalies in what would generally be completely ideal, innocent and pure.
But.. sport in general, I'm talking grass roots level, has been an effective means to redirect youth energy into something positive and in many cases turned lost youths lives completely around. It's also a great way for positive bonds to be created between parents and child and lasting ones, particularly in surfing/kitesurfing/windsurfing type sports. Im not saying this is the only answer, that truly would be very short sighted, but it's a proven method and something for parents to consider. Especially if they live in an area where youth crime and bad influences are common. There are of course other methods to direct youths in the right direction but I'm not that into writing essays

but they are things as simple as creating a distraction from bad influences, teaching discipline, self respect and respect to others.
I do overwhelmingly agree with MUCH tougher penalties on street violence when dealing with the issue on the other side.