Teenagers investigate gun & knife crime

Gun and knife crime amongst young people has been constantly in the news throughout 2007, especially in London.

A group of young reporters from Headliners - a journalism programme for young people - looks at the problem in the capital by speaking to a teenager, a police officer and two music artists.

Interview with Hackney teenager Nyasha, aged 14

14-year-old Nyasha lives in Hackney and was recently affected by the death of local teenager Etem Celebi. So how does Nyasha feel about the shooting of someone she went to school with?

Despite recent events Nyasha still feels safe in her area; "but it's obviously not safe for other people because, like, he wasn't really supposed to die. But I personally feel safe because I'm a girl." Nyasha says Etem wasn't involved in gangs; and doesn't believe he was targeted by his killers.

"Before you'd hear about boys being in a gang and getting shot. But now you hear about anybody being shot, it doesn't really matter." We understand this sentiment as we ourselves could be in the wrong place at the wrong time and be that "anybody" who gets hurt.

According to Nyasha, Etem's death had a major effect on her local community. "The other day they had his memorial service and over 1000 people were there. Even though all the different gangs came, nobody came to fight." We think this shows a great respect for Etem and this is the way forward if young people are to put down their weapons.

Research carried out by the Times newspaper has shown that you can buy a regular shotgun from £50 – £200. When we put this to Nyasha she highlighted how affordable firearms can be for some young people; "if you can get a shotgun for £50 you can get that instead of a pair of trainers!"

Nyasha thinks it is unfair how gun crime is often seen as a problem amongst young black people "because the way the media are portraying young black people, some black people are going out and thinking well the media is saying were doing that so we might as well do it."

These cycles need to be broken so more young people can feel safe. As Nyasha points out "whoever's not involved in gangs at the moment needs to stay uninvolved or it's never gonna stop". As a final message for her peers, Nyasha said "put yourself in that position, whoever you gonna go and stab, imagine them stabbing you."

Interview with Steve Tyler, Operation Trident

Inspector Steve Tyler works for Trident which was set up in the 1990s and is a unit within the Metropolitan Police that deals specifically with gun crime in the black community. Steve explains that there is a special unit for this because "for three out of every four shootings that take place in London, the victim and the perpetrator are from the black community."

Advertisements made by Trident have a strong message, such as "A Phone Beats a Gun." The aim of messages like these is to help witnesses come forward with information and prompt people to do something. Steve Tyler also said that the adverts help to reassure people that gun crime is under control.

We asked him if he had the power to do anything to get witnesses, what would it be. Steve said he would, "guarantee their safety and make sure they feel safe. That's one of the biggest hindrances of witnesses coming forward; they feel vulnerable by giving evidence. People are too scared to come forward and talk about the things they know, for obvious reasons."

Trident seizes money from drug dealers, "this money is then spent on projects based on tackling gun crime and the rest goes back to central government and they decide how the money is spent". Trident doesn't always have control of where this money goes, but we feel more of it should be invested in youth projects that are geared towards steering young people away from gangs and violent crime.

Trident has also done work with the east London grime group, Roll Deep. They made a song called Badman on behalf of Trident. It had a huge number of downloads and loads of young people listened to it. But even with this success it doesn't mean young people actually took on the anti-gun crime message of the song. Despite this, we think music is still a good way to get through to gun users.

Steve explained that it's important for Trident to use rappers who promote a positive message and help change the culture of being bad to being cool. "Doing this is a big cultural shift but maybe the ball could slowly start rolling. As the message by 50 Cent in Get Rich or Die Trying isn't the best message for young people so maybe the recording companies could take responsibility so these people don't get contracts."

One of Trident's aims is to target young people before they get to an age where they're getting involved in violent crime by helping them to understand the consequences of gun crime. Steve points out that "the reality of gun crime is nothing like the films or computer games, as one bullet can kill you and you can't decide where that bullet is going to go. But the debate for these schemes is how young do you go to help young people avoid gun crime, and you want young people to be aware but not frightened."

We believe it is important to intervene at an early age so young people don't see gangs and violence as a glamorous aspiration. This is what often leads to young people taking each other's lives.

Interview with grime artists, Tinnie Tempah and Bruza

Grime music is often seen as negative and glamorising gun and knife crime. But not all grime artists are the same. Tinnie Tempah chose to take a stand by releasing the single 'Put the Guns and Knives Down'. So we thought he would be a good person to interview. As young people from similar environments we can relate to him.

We caught up with Tinnie Tempah backstage at a youth music event at the Ministry of Sound in London. He was joined by East London grime artist Bruza.

What do you think about gun crime in the UK?

Tinnie Tempah: It's a fast, fast rising problem. At the end of the day we're products of our environment, so obviously it's what we see and it's what we're around daily. But it's got to a position where it's just ridiculous and something needs to be done. I don't think in terms of law and police enforcement and stuff, the problem lies in the homes. It's more of a social problem.

Bruza: Gun crime seems like the new fashion nowadays, you can't really blame the kids for it. You have to blame a lot of other things like media, what they're seeing, what they're hearing, their friends influencing them. Kids ain't got no heroes that ain't talking about guns and carrying guns. People that are doing law, people that are being doctors, they ain't classed as heroes. They're classed as someone that's being boring but they should be looked up to. People that are doing positive music need to be the heroes. There ain't enough of them right now and gun crime's gonna keep going unless that starts changing.

Do you think certain music plays a part, like people from the ends [inner-city] talking about "I'm gonna draw for the nine and catch you?"

Bruza: I reckon it does, in a slight way, because people just think it's cool. It shouldn't. People should be stronger and able to make up their own mind but as Tinnie said earlier, you're a product of your environment. It's a shame and it shouldn't be that way but unfortunately it is.

Tinnie Tempah: At the end of the day music is a form of entertainment so it's down to the artist what they wanna say. As long as you've been given that platform you really don't have to say anything specific or be a positive role model. Little kids are being deluded by what they're seeing and they're thinking it's all real. To an extent it's contributing to the violence but we have to acknowledge other avenues such as films and stuff which kids have been seeing since they were three. So music isn't the biggest problem, but yeah, definitely it is a problem.

What do you think when people say Garage and Grime music promote gun crime?

Bruza: Well as I said before gun crime isn't a problem that the kids have caused. How are kids getting guns? Where do they come from? So the problem's a lot deeper than what people actually think. It's not the kids, its bigger things than that. It's a bigger war. There are people giving us guns to kill each other. We've got to stand up and say why are we using these guns to kill our own people?

Tinnie Tempah: I don't think Grime music is portraying gun crime. It really all depends on the context and who's saying it as well.

Our opinion is that Grime and Garage are somehow contributing to gun crime but it isn't the only factor. Other issues like home life, violent films and peer pressure also contribute to it. What about young people who carry weapons because their scared? Though as young people, who also rap, we do need to take some responsibility.
We were impressed by Bruza and Tinnie Tempah's mature attitude towards these problems and think that these attitudes should be shared by more rappers and Grime artists.

Should the voting age be lowered? Young teens work and pay taxes—but can't vote

Many 16-year-olds drive, hold part-time jobs, and pay taxes. Some 17-year-olds even serve in the armed forces. Yet these young people are denied a basic British right. They cannot vote in state and national elections.

Supporters argue that since teens pay taxes and live under the nation's laws, they should have the right to choose the government that sets those policies. Additionally, collecting taxes from a group that cannot vote amounts to taxation without representation.

Critics say that teens lack the maturity and understanding to cast an educated vote. They cite poor voter turnout among 18- to 24-year olds as evidence that many young people do not take voting seriously.

What do you think?

Read the following arguments on both sides of the debate, and then cast your vote.

(YES) Whether a kid sells jeans at the Gap of flips burgers at a local diner, state and federal taxes are taken out of his or her paycheck. It is unfair that teen workers are denied government representation. Allowing teens to vote would get kids involved in the political process and strengthen our democracy. "The future of our country depends on the decisions our generation makes, and allowing those decisions to be made earlier in life will result in a better country."

(NO) Teens are not ready to participate in a democracy. In recent elections, the turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds has been dismally low. Teens need to spend more time learning about civics and understanding the political issues that affect our nation. Besides, most teens are not homeowners, and most do not have full-time jobs.

"I think the voting age should be left at 18 years of age," says Rebecca Todak. "Seventeen-year-olds aren't experience enough and don't know enough about the government. I'm 14, and I doubt I can learn everything I need to know in three years."

American Pit Bull Terrier History

The term pit bull is actually used to describe several dog breeds, which means that the term is often used incorrectly when referring to the bull terrier, bull mastiff, and American bulldog. This is because these breeds can have similar characteristics, making it easy for people to use the proper terms. The American Staffordshire terrier is related to the American pit bull terrier, so many enthusiasts call the American pit bull terrier the working class of this breed and the American Staffordshire terrier the show type of the breed.

The American pit bull terrier is the descendent of working dogs that were imported to the United States by immigrants from England, Scotland, and Ireland. These immigrants brought these working dogs to ports such as Boston and New York. The working dogs were then bred with each other in order to create a breed that was stronger and taller. This made an incredibly fit working dog that could be used for hunting, dog fighting, and protecting humans. Farmers also used this breed for protection and for catching wild hogs and semi-wild cattle.

The breed that resulted from this crossbreeding became known as the American pit bull terrier. These dogs become very popular as pets, even for people who had children. These dogs also made appearances in major movies such as The Little Rascals.

The United Kennel Club was developed by people who enjoted the American pit bull and wanted to establish bloodlines and records of the dogs born in the United States. The founder’s dog was given U.K.C. number 11 in 1898. When this records system was established, cross-breeding was no longer acceptable. After registering American pit bulls exclusively for several years, the UKC began admitting other breeds and the American Dog Breeders Association was developed as a result.

The American Kennel Club allowed pit bull terriers into their registry under the name of the Staffordshire terrier in the 1930s. Along with the new breed name came the need for specific standards for the breeds. A committee visited several kennels and ended up choosing a dog named Colby’s Primo as the dog used to create the standards.

A Little Something On American Pit Bull Terrier Characteristics and Behavior For Those who are intrested

The American pit bull terrier breed is a well-muscled canine that has a thick neck and and a large head. This particular breed is known for its persistence, strength, and loyalty to masters. The American pit bull terrier is often referred to as a pit bull, but can be incorrectly classified with other terriers by major kennel clubs. In fact, the American pit bull terrier and the American Staffordshire terrier should be classified as bull and terrier breeds. They are also closely related to bulldogs in terms of their behavior and working abilities.

In the past, the pit bull was one of the most trusted companions and was loved by most people. In England, where the breed is no longer allowed, the pit bull was also considered one of the safest dogs to have around children. Unfortunately, negative attention has been given to this breed in the past several years. There are two groups to blame for these negative events. One group is the media, who report attacks in the most sensational way possible. The other group that needs to shoulder some of the blame is dog breeders who overbreed their dogs, resulting in high levels of aggression. Owners who train their dogs harshly or who encourage aggressive behavior can also be blamed for negative attention on the pit bull breed.

Owners who do not purposely train their pit bulls to have a lot of agression can actually cause aggressive behavior. Many owners believe that a dog’s behavior is only influenced by how they are raised and not by any of the breed’s genetic characteristics. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Working breeds such as the pit bull need to have some activity such as obedience training or sports. If they are not given opportunities for activity, they may become bored and aggressive. For this reason, pit bulls are best suited to people with active lifetyles.

Adult pit bulls may become agressive with other dogs without showing agression towards humans. This does not mean that pit bulls should not be allowed near other dogs or that they are too aggressive to have as pets. It just means that it takes a lot less for a pit bull to become aggressive toward another dog than it does for another breed to become aggressive. In the past, this breed was bred specifically for dog fighting. However, the breeders worked hard to produce dogs that were aggressive in fighting but not mean or unfriendly with humans. This was necessary because human trainers had to pull pit bulls apart when fighting had concluded and they needed to be sure that the dogs would not turn on them. If one of the pit bulls turned on one of the humans, the dog was put down. These pit bulls were allowed to live with their owners and were friendly towards adults and children alike.

Aggression is common when other breeds are taken into consideration. Other aggressive dogs such as Rottweilers, Dobermans, and Malamutes can get into fights with pit bulls. This does not mean that pit bull owners need to stop enjoying activities with their dogs. It just means that the owners need to be responsible for their dogs and spend the time and money necessary for training their dogs properly. Many pit bulls are just as docile as beagles and golden retrievers, but it would be unfair of an owner to expect this from every working dog.

The American pit bull terrier is now known as an agile and versatile dog and is known for winning competitions in obedience, agility, tracking, weight pulls, and conformation. Famous pit pull terrier blood lines include Caver, Old Family Red Nose, Corvino, Colby, and Hammonds.

My Weapon Is A Dog

On nearly every high street from Penzance to London and Glasgow to Belfast, there’s a new “must-have” accessory for some young men. Not the latest trainers or mobile phone, but fierce, snarling dogs.

Rickie Haywood-Williams explores the hip-hop and peer-pressure culture that has led to this growth in aggressive dogs in his hometown of London – on the streets and abandoned in shelters. He discovers that dogs are bred, bought, sold and given away with incredible ease.

In some cases dogs are deliberately trained and even abused to make them vicious. Methods of “toughening up” dogs include chain fighting and beatings. The owners claim it’s all necessary for protection – but are they always in control of their animals?

Rickie learns that the “Staffie”, formerly a dog of choice, is now being replaced by bigger, fiercer breeds as the dog to have. Shockingly, he discovers that the Pit Bull, the most notorious status dog of all, is back with a vengeance.

Rickie meets victims of vicious dog attacks to hear their reaction to the rise in aggressive dogs. He also visits vets at Harmsworth AnimalHospital as they desperately try to patch up dogs after they’ve been abused or neglected.

The film also seeks to understand the status dog culture from the owners’ point of view – examining the question of why so many young men want to be feared.

Allegedly A Feard Youngster (Part 1)

Hi all,i am a guy aged 17 living in a smallish town called Grimsby, sisterd with seaside town Cleethorpes. I currently own a fully grown rottie (Rothweiler) and share a pup staffy (Staffordshire bull terrior) with my girlfriend.

Walking the dogs the other night in cleethorpes i had clicked on to this feeling of fear and fright from the public as i walked allong in the evening breeze. Cirtain members of public where telling me that i shouldnt posses such dogs as the look aggressive (apparently) and shouldnt be allowed in the country. With all sorts of Breed Legislation coming from the courts all around the world saying they want to abbollish all pittbull terriors for example here in the uk,you are not allowed to own a pittbul as the are classed as an ilegal fighting dog, thus banned for there aggression.

Personaly i dont think the courts that braught out this law took enough time to considder other peoples views on the situation. I shal post a second part to this aeticle soon.........