Here’s the thing. My experience shows that a short, sharp response to anti-social behaviour does more to stop it reoccuring from the same person than any office building floor of social workers could in a month of direct attention. In my father’s case, in the quoted example, the local community gave their neighbour a short sharp lesson, and that was it. His wife never talked to her neighbours about being belted again, and the guy was still a valued member of the community who had made a mistake and seen the error of his ways.

Back then there was another form of ‘short sharp lesson’ meeted out to young offenders for anti-social behaviour (tagging, loutishness, purposefull bad driveing, etc.,). It was called Borstal, and the sentence was a standard 3 months. From what I read about it, it could have been run by army sergent majors, and filled every minute of every day with flat-out character development and interdependency. THere was no time to fraternise (and learn new criminal skills) and they all had single person cells. THere was no ‘time-off for good behaviour’, but there was the ability of the head of the institution to add up to 30 days without outside reference. The concept was abandoned about the same time as caning miscreants in school (my palm aches just writing those words), a sad fact in my view.

Keep up the good writing, as well as the demonstrably good work – I like some of your web-sites.

I also agree with the friends making an effort thing… But being friendly doesn’t work in my experience. Being friendly says ‘that’s ok, keep doing it’. Sometimes to be a friend, you can’t act like one.

The story of the group of fathers sorting out the abusive husband sounds great – but it really shouldn’t get to the stage of violence curing violence – community intervention – great, giving him a thrashing – feels great in the primal part of your mind – but shouldn’t be the solution.

A part of the problem people turning away from someone – knowing that the person is hurting and ignoring it.

A smile at someone who looks likes depression personified.

Saying g’day – howsit to a scary looking homeless person.

Sitting next to a punk looking kid and saying hello.

But people have been isolated from each other by smart people in charge of building a consumer society (marketeers and parts of the media) – so they keep out of each other problems and let this happen.

If something is wrong – bowl up and say hi – get started fixing it. If it’s dangerous to go up by yourself, get some friends – but be friendly.

The police don’t prevent crime, they clean it up. It’s all our jobs to be friendly.

Woah! Sorry for the rant. :)

By the way, I assume you realise that Rod’s blog also has the tag line “Going Global from New Zealand”? You probably do, given you are based in Welly as well. :o)