Alcohol fuelled violence

[NP99]

As you are aware there has been some cowardly king hit attacks in the media of late. Often the excuse used by the attacker is they were under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. That is their choice to engage in those activities as is ours. We are responsible for our actions, drunk or sober. Now there is talk of restricting venue hours etc etc. yet again, punish us all for the actions of a few. How about severe punishments for the trouble makers! Your thoughts!

[Mud Gecko]

These gutless wankers should be charged with attempted murder.

[TimE]

I'm 61 and this has been going on since before I was a boy, but a lot fewer instances and not reported with the media hysteria it is today. The difference is the population, and the extended time that people are out. In my day the pub shut at 10 and we would head off to someones house, so no crowds wandering the streets, in my dads day it was 6pm closing and very little money to spend on booze so not quite so much strife, BUT there have always been wankers with small dicks that think that they can prove what a man they are by COWARD hitting another, usually drunk, person.

Too many people, too much money, too little respect for others and way too much advertising telling the impressionable that the only way they can have a good time is drink drink drink.

I shall now get off my high horse and go and have a XXXX

[Bush Ranger]

Give them a month in gaol to see if it sorts them out. Sorry boss, I can`t come to work to day, I`m in the government hotel. Equals no job hopefully.

[Cuppa]

Yeah, not a new issue. I certainly agree that individuals should be held responsible for their behaviours, & that alcohol consumption should not be considered a mitigating factor.

However that said, I also have views which at different times have seen me labelled a wowser & an apologist for these alcohol fuelled thugs. Nothing, I might add, could be further from the truth. I do nevertheless believe that we all, as a society need to accept some responsibility for the problems in our midst. Basically I think Australia has a real problem with alcohol. It is not alone in this, but it does stand out above many other countries. I also think that over the past few decades as a society we have become worse at parenting our youngsters. There are many reasons for this, but suffice it to say put together poorer parenting & and the modeling our youngsters are subjected to with regard to alcohol consumption, it is hardly surprising that some of the youngsters do stupid, dangerous, violent & anti social things when drunk.

I'll make it clear again, I am not excusing their behaviours, but I am saying that it is predictable.

In Australia it is almost impossible to conceive of any celebration or social gathering where alcohol is not present. Drinking daily is the norm for a huge percentage of our community. Note I said drinking, not getting drunk. Somehow we expect our youngsters to follow the drinking without getting drunk modeling. How many here who drink can honestly say they have never been drunk? Yeah there is 'acceptable' & 'unacceptable' drunk, but I bet there are very few who learned that from observing or being told, they learned it from experience. Let's face it, a drunk teenager is not a pleasant thing. All they see is the adults around them with a can, stubbie or glass in their hand, enjoying their adult friend's company, & talking about booze with an enthusiasm that accompanies very little else. As youngsters they want to be 'adult' too. But they have to learn how through experience, & some get it horribly wrong & will be left dealing with it for the rest of their lives.

If we want our youngsters to learn not to misuse alcohol, we have to accept how our own adult behaviours impact upon them, & to be prepared to modify our own behaviours. This does not mean that we should all be teetotallers, nor does it mean that we should point fingers of blame & carry on regardless. It also doesn't mean that we have to be drunk & or violent to pass on the wrong messages.

Just consider the many & varied references to alcohol consumption & getting pissed just on this forum. Multiply that right across society & you begin to understand just how pervasive it really is, & yet we expect our youngsters to negotiate the minefield without problems.

Some of the best people I know enjoy a drink..... Come to think of it, most of them do.

If anyone wants to take issue with me, first consider your own drinking habits & the way you talk about alcohol with your mates & in your family & consider the possibilities I've raised. You might not like it, but don't shoot me, I'm only a messenger.

Should you wonder whether I drink, yes I do, but rarely. I didn't get called Cuppa for nothing.

End of rant!

[threedogs]

I don't have an alcohol problem, I drink, I fall down, no problem lol
I'm with TimE, total lack of respect these days shite I still call my BFF mums Mrs Canning
yet all my sons mate call me John. Yeah lack of respect

Edit I cant remember the last time I was drunkmust be a few years ago for sure maybe 5

[Avo]

Cuppa I repect your opinion but don't agree that we should take responsability for whats happening,these people are not going to give a shit ,their first intent is to hit someone and knocking them to the ground..I personally think this is there mindset before they set out for the night.

As for drinking and setting a bad example...meh...I drink,more than most I know mate and my kids turned out alright(well the oldest 2 have)I think like you said modify your behaviours....but why..i brought my eldest up on a sole parents pension (and worked) till I met my partner...so my influence was huge...I instilled morals and respect.......she graduated school yr 12 and by the time she was 19 worked for the minister of environment here in WA...she is now 24 her and her partner just bought there 2nd house.......The sad thing about kids who they hang around is the biggest factor of where they'll end up in society...ie if they hang around trouble they get into it...therefor it is up to us as parents to guide them...I think most on this forum that drink and get on it would have respectful children who'd all be a pleasure to meet(I know mine are)

No offence Cuppa in any way just trying to say,just cause we drink don't mean our kids are shit....

[threedogs]

My rules here are DON'T LIE. STEAL OR CHEAT I think its working

[Hodge]

That sort of behavior should not be tolerated whatsoever. The excuse that they were under the influence, which quiet often let's them go with a slap on the wrist, is just so f'in ridiculous. This is how a lot of crooks get away with various crimes. The law in this country is so utterly piss weak, it might as well not exist.

I believe there is a far more sinister problem in society, which has been clouded by this alcohol fueled violence thrown across the media. Drugs. The amount of people found on the streets overdosed daily is staggering. Relative is a cop, and has had years of exposure to places like footscray, CBD, st. kilda etc... And he reckons the alcohol is the least of their issues. The violence nurses and doctors in the emergency cop daily, by people under the influence of ice has risen exponentially over the last few years, greatly overshadowing and outnumbering alcohol problems, yet very very little of it is in the media and not much done about it. The stories he has told me, makes one sit back and ask how such things are happening in our streets in this day and age and majority of the population wouldn't have a clue about it.

There is a reason I stopped going out many many years ago, and replaced the concrete jungle ( CBD ) with camping as my getaway. It became not very hard to find trouble that's triggered by people who can't handle a few drinks, and/or drugs in their system. Don't get me wrong, alcohol fueled stupidity is a horrible thing, making people who do have a responsible drink look bad as well. But as my comment above, I think there is a far bigger demon above our heads on our streets day and night.

[Cuppa]

No offence Cuppa in any way just trying to say,just cause we drink don't mean our kids are shit....

No offence taken, & I agree with you that parents who drink don't necessarily have shit kids. As you would know, the relationship is everything. If you had not had a good relationship with your kids, they could well have turned out to be alcohol fuelled shits.

You have clearly done a great parenting job in difficult circumstances & from that I would assume you were lucky enough to have been parented well yourself. Not everybody is or can. (Note, I'm just commenting, not expecting you to reveal your life history online!). For folks in that latter group, which is far larger today than in the past, the disproportionate role that alcohol plays in our society can be a real problem.

I am not excusing bad behaviour, I do think that bad behaviour should invite the full force of the law, but I also think we should consider trying to understand the behaviour of others to prevent it becoming an increasing problem to society & it is my view that both poor parenting skills & alcohol are major contributing factors. The shape of our society has changed a great deal over the past 4 or 5 decades. Support from extended family is no longer the norm. Many parents struggle to adequately parent because they have not had the chance to learn how to parent from their own parents. One generation missing out is becomes a multi generational loss. By the time their kids become 'shits' it's too late, the cycle begins again. What is required is more support for parents. Government is never going to be able to provide adequate support. It's a huge problem with no easy answers. Really it is quite amazing that things aren't much worse.
I believe that what is required is a move back to the extended family & a re-valuing of our older generations, but today's employment structures make this difficult, & it may be too late anyway. We have created our own 'lost generations'.