Young people at parties

[Dr Bunsen]

What do you think?

http://www.partyvibe.com/gallery/d/1888-2/smokescreen_nrth_linc.jpg

DjdeAeW3x4I

[Meltown]

personally im not to bothered, i have a friend whose parents took him to raves as a young child and hes grown up one of the nicest people ive eva met and a really sensible guy,

on the other hand i really wudnt take my own kids to a rave (if/when i have ne) not just because i wouldnt want them to c me in a state but because there are dodgy people at raves - i always have to talk my gf out of tryin to steal kids at raves to take home (dnt think she'd actually do it)

any one go to that huge multi rig in oxfordshire last year there was a little see-thru tent with about 6/7 kids in an a load of toys, im still not sure about it

[General Lighting]

its a difficult issue; TBH I don't think kids (age 5-10) at outdoor events are at any more danger than they are in their home cities/towns/villages (and may even be safer!) - drugs and drug culture are everywhere these days and cannot be avoided. they could go playing in the streets and find used needles; and I've never heard of predatory behaviour towards kids at a rave.

OTOH there may be more risk to younger pre-teens/teenagers as there is peer pressure to take substances at an earlier age and they are cheaper to get; and also with more "liberal" parents these kids could be inclined to binge more early on in life.

it is often more a risk that they will not do as well in exams/education than any serious risk to physical health; but that does mean they are delayed from progressing in "normal" society (they are not made stupid, its just they have different priorities in life!)

That IMO is not a bad thing as there is too much pressure on teens these days; but other more conservative minded families will have put the pressure on their kids. it becomes difficult when the "junior ravers" are competing with those who didn't take drugs and even with youths from other EU countries - and can't get jobs because although capable they don't have the paper qualifications as they spent more of their summers partying!

this IMO is responsible for a lot of the resentment and hatred in many young people today; they have been thrown on the scrap heap already by age 18 or so ... and often their own parents disown them as they never accepted their lifestyles.

I started getting interested in hedonistic lifestyles (drugs/partying) at age 15.

It obviously did not kill me or destroy my mind; but it did mean I have slightly less qualifications than I could have gained; and a minor criminal record.

I've still done well in life but at some times it was hard and my family had to support me to get me through bad patches which may not have happened as much had I conformed; many families are not prepared (or simply cannot afford) to bail their youths out like that.

I don't know if my ethnic background is a factor though (Asian families tend to stick together); but I've heard of people becoming almost permanently estranged from their families due to their involvement in the rave scene or from taking drugs.

And I also do think some people who start too early often risk burning out too early..

[globalloon]

i took my little girl to a free party in the morning... I knew the crew and knew it would be safe

I was taken to Glastonbury, green gathering and other festivals as soon as I was born and I'm fine... I've had an interesting and unusual life

think it's all about how the parents act when they take their kids to parties and the free parties they choose to go to

I'd always stay straight with children around (goes for home too) ... and I wouldn't take my daughter to a teknival, for example

[Raj]

i took my little girl to a free party in the morning... I knew the crew and knew it would be safe

I was taken to Glastonbury, green gathering and other festivals as soon as I was born and I'm fine... I've had an interesting and unusual life

think it's all about how the parents act when they take their kids to parties and the free parties they choose to go to

I'd always stay straight with children around (goes for home too) ... and I wouldn't take my daughter to a teknival, for example

i took my toddler to the festivals i have been to since they were born and think its a good thing

mind you you need to be confident of the safety of the event

as soon as we get set up my toddler is off to explore (lets go is the constant refrain while getting set up) and make new friends:bigsmile:

at bedtime partying for the adults begins and we usually encourage our friends to camp behind the rig for security reasons anyway so an or two adult is always about while the rig is on and all of them are well known to the child anyway so if we are away for any reason it is not a problem

i would certainly say that my toddler has benefitted from going to these parties as an incredibly social child at the best of times and if you turn off the rig during the night there will be howls of "turn the music back on NOW!!!" :crazy_fre:crazy_fre:crazy_fre

[General Lighting]

interested though to know what the teenagers think...

TBH I think they get way too much hassle from older "ravers" these days when we were doing all the same things anyway and I think they are more clued up than previous generations (at least the younger users on here are!)

I was reading a while back how one of the younger chaps on here wasn't raving as much because he had exams etc - "back in the day" people often just got trashed anyway and couldn't be bothered with education etc.

Also you can't always tell peoples age from videos.

Some people are just shorter; and often look way younger than they actually are!

["Sound-Guy"]

if there are kids walking bout with polo nose n their jaws sticking out then i thinks it definatly wrong!!
OTOH- i would rather take my kids (if i had any) to a rave and show them what its about than a group of crack headZ!!!!!!!

[General Lighting]

if there are kids walking bout with polo nose n their jaws sticking out then i thinks it definatly wrong!!
OTOH- i would rather take my kids (if i had any) to a rave and show them what its about than a group of crack headZ!!!!!!!
what do you all define as "kids" though?

like I said I was doing drugs at age 15 and going to full-on rave events by age 17/18.

I think most people start raving these days at age 15 earliest and would agreee though that before that is way too early though (for health reasons if anything as your body is often still growing....).

TBH I reckon most younger people (apart from babies/children to age 10) at raves aren't much younger than 16 (other than in inner city raves) ; and the bulk are age 17-21... they need to have friends who own motor vehicles to get them to the venues in the first place....

[missMushed]

i dont think its right when parents take their kids to raves and then let them run off on their onw, if u gonna take a child to a rave, be with them at all times. Id take my child to a planet yes, as there are often many others there and i know a few mums who would all set up a childs area so they are safe from the munters at night and its more of a family environment, - bouncy ca\stles for kids etc but i wouldn't let them out at night....or own their own at any point. i would NEVER take my child to a "community" party as they are just plain dirty and all about how many drugs you can do and whos got the biggest.........stack.
I was at a party last year and went to seat a wrap of MD, when i turned round and this girl about 10 years was sitting watching me make the wrap...i had to throw it away as i couldnt handle the fact she was watchin, and her dad was next to her gurning not giving a shit. Thats just wrong!

[Dutti B]

I know people who take there kids to festivals or in the day at parties and keep 100% eye on there kids and never leave there sides. They are responsible parents who love there children and would die if anything happens. At night when at festivals they stick to the tent and go off on shifts, they would not like there kids to experience really mashed up peeps who could do anything to them not to metion the things they could pick up off the floor. At night you can't moniter where you kids are properly too. so I think it is ok if you can think of your kids first.

But for young kids to be at parties running aound loose at night with out there parents or gardian even if it is a travellers kids is not really the one. I agree with letting your kids know about drugs from an early age and not hiding these things away as they are a big part in todays society and wrapping your kids in cotton wool just makes them even more likely to take drugs. But letting your kids see a person OD or spaz out to the point where is is scaring me, is not right for a kid to see. It will surely give them nightmares and they will proberly be on edge after seeing something like that.

[missMushed]

yeah one of my mates parents took him to raves, and at the age of 10 he was trippin on acid, it fucked him up good and proper all through high school too, luckily he has now sorted himself out but he could have had a better chance had his head not been already fried

[General Lighting]

TBH I think most people look after babies and young children very well and I have never seen children of this age being neglected at a free party...

I reckon the danger is more to kids of age 10-14 TBH.

They often look older than they are and try to act older; as well as the risk of starting drugs at an early age a boy could perhaps get into a fight/scuffle or a girl could be subject to inappropriate advances from slightly older lads - both incidents could result in a very ugly scene developing as others step in to defend them..

another potential risk at free parties is that cops could spray irritant gas weapons (CS/pepper spray) around the place if things get on top. If people complain they will probably notify social services that kids are present at an illegal gathering where drugs are being used.

Also if the parents are no longer together one may try and complain in custody battles that "the kid was exposed to risk/danger by being taken to a rave" (a friend of mine had hassle seeing his son because his ex said this)

["Sound-Guy"]

what do you all define as "kids" though?

like I said I was doing drugs at age 15 and going to full-on rave events by age 17/18.

...

Got a few mates who started at the age of about 11-12, n i mean gettin heavily stoned n taking pillz, then obiously leading to everything else which hasent done them any good at all!
One of them is 26 now and after a can of stella or 2 you can understand a word he,s sayin

[raverbaby]

Think the youngest i have seen was about 10 and he was getting crushed on this speaker stak, i had to push part of the crowd bak so he could get free. Then i gave him a glowstik and sent him on his way.

[the1log]

I'm still well undecided on this one, I've seen allot of kids at partys, some even in prams at the daytime at bank holliday partys, and 10 year old pikie kids checking k.o'ed people and their pockets. My only main two concernes are;

1,You DO get weirdos at partys.(including myself)
2,Young kids ears are easyly damaged.

But hey whats the harm as long a you stay reletivley sober, and keep both eyes on them.

[miss bassets]

personaly i think its a good thing children experience this side of life aslong as they're safe. but OTH this is a minority opinion in the society we live in and kids talk often exageratin the facts which could lead to social services n all sorts of drama which im sure no respectable parent wants

["Sound-Guy"]

.
1,You DO get weirdos at partys.(including myself)
.

..

At least your honest! lol

[Raver Ran]

i think it's perfectly acceptable as long as the kids are well looked after. i went to a rave in wales a few weeks back and there were loads of kids there with there parents having a great time running about in the hills, fresh air and they were safe with a watchfull responsible adult looking after them. i think its good for them in the long run as well makes them open minded and definatly means they've had a fun up bringing!
my parents used to bring me to festivals when i was younger i loved it. and thats what a rave is really a minnie festival!
A few of my mates are travellers and when ever they have parties the kids allways join in as well i think its nicer when the parents dont just send thier kids off to bed or to a baby sitter they propperly socialise with the children which is nice.
ive been going raving on and off since i was 13/14 and ive seen and done some things which i probably shouldnt have at that age but i dont regret any of it and i think it's those things that have made me in to the person i am today!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx :horay:

[General Lighting]

incidentally its worth remembering a lot of these videos (or at least the bits which are uploaded to the public internet) are shot close to the stack to avoid being too incriminating.

Usually you get a lot of younger people stacking/moshing up at the front who haven't got as much to lose from being seen on video (i.e if cops see them its only proof they were dancing to loud music and not organising the party) - so it looks like a party contains more "kids" than there actually are.

This happens in Oxon as well as East Anglia BTW...

If you stand a bit further back you see a lot more "older" people.

Not everyone is fond of stacking as you risk getting accidentally knocked about and if people are not careful the entire stack can get pushed over (I've seen it happen before :( ) It tends to be popular with the 16-20 age group who also listen to angst-ridden grunge type rock on the comedowns (a lot of my younger friends in Reading were like this).

Incidentally last weekend a few teenagers were trying to get me to join in with the stacking but I was having none of it (the way I felt at the time I would have ended up on the ground!)

BTW the "perimeter fence to keep the cops out" the local papers reported about the teknival was actually an arrangement of scaffold poles to keep moshers a reasonable distance from the stack to stop it being pushed over!

[Meltown]

lets not for get its not just the fact they dsnt care if they get seen, vids an pics are usually taken in the mornin (when there's light)
all the old cronies have danced them selves out and are sittin about complainin how its not like it used 2 be an there are 2 many kids about
its only the 14-20yr olds stil havin it up like nutters when vids r taken

like the idea of a grunge comedown though - sums it up perfectly 4 me:bigsmile: