I can't help but notice 2 incidents this week which is disturbing in how school leavers are abusing the law. What has gone wrong? Has the cultural tone against authority in a "nation of lies and corruption" taught young people to disrespect law in such a nasty way? Or have they been spoilt rotten?

In Penrith a birthday party within schoolies week went out of control. About 3 police officers were injured trying to keep the peace. There were literally hundreds of young drunks in baboon like behavior.

The Gold Coast, the Police Constable and his wife were mobbed by more baboon drunk behavior of drunk and violent youths.

Pubs in Sydney are turning violent with drinking turning violent. The Gold Coast will be hell this week. I'm so glad I don't live there this week.

I am one of the critics of the APEC heavy handed breaches of human rights. I have in past been critical of over thug like police strategy. This was never in criticism of the individuals on the beat, but poor strategy in management level.

Now the challenge is even more complicated. Generation Y doesn't believe a word we say. They get violent when they are drunk. They make no apologies for this. And this generation gap is turning "us and them". Where have we gone wrong and what can we do better?

this one is too hard for olo. needs philosphers and social workers, a lot of discussion and some testing of theories.

or, you could just lock your doors, bars on the windows, and travel in convoys.

or, you could refer to that inscription on the egyptian tomb, 4000 years old, which said: "young people nowadays are getting rowdier and disrespectful of elders."

"young people nowadays are getting rowdier and disrespectful of elders."
yes Demos, look what happened. it's the same with every society that's plateaued. if you really want to know where we're heading start reading history books.

Young people nowadays are constantly bombarded by violence. They have access to technology and mass information that wasn't available to older generations. Also, the breakdown of communication between older and younger generations adds to the problem.

Not all parents take an interest in their children's lives. And the end result is tragic, both for families and society as a whole.

I know that this could be just another generation gap. Maybe I'm showing my age now.

But riots in the past usually had a reason.

The kids that surrounded the couple, the constable and his wife, off duty, probably doing their shopping or something, where is this anger coming from? It seems alien to this country. There is no reason for this. I just don't understand. That is cowardly mob mentality of scavengers, in short, scum.

In Penrith, a birthday party. A random arguement. I dunno. But it snowballed to hundreds of angry violent kids who probably forgot why they were angry. This is real trailer trash scum behavior. How embarrassing!

If this is celebrating the end of school, then I'd rather mourn in a funeral or watch repeats of Parliament during a fireworks display. This is not celebrating.

Is there a criminologist or psychologist who can explain this on OLO? I know Linda Scot from the ALP in Sydney is a criminologist and psychologist.

What happened to fun?

I have no respect for police who beat their own countrymen. They serve the people. As soon as they start serving government interests then there is a huge problem. I don't like hearing them whine about violent protesters. For one, they are hypocrites on that front since they use violence themselves and two, that is what riot police are paid for. If they don't like it they can exercise their right to resign immediately.