It seems every day. There's an article about kids involved in very adult crime. Bringing guns to schools, Kia Boys, Short North, gas station take overs.
I don't want to stir up some big moral panic but it's very concerning what's happening.
The majority of cases making the news seem to be stealing and joyriding in cars. (Two instances of stealing cars, robbing a gun store, shooting the guns out the window (I think the shooting was the first instance, then the kids were released and robbed the same gun store again)).
I’ll probably get downvoted but I think we can rule out, in these 100+ kids stealing cars scenarios over the past year, they’re doing this because they can’t afford food.
My vote is absentee parents, social media clout chasers and having zero empathy for understanding what’s right from wrong. Good kids typically don’t ram cars into gun stores and shoot them out the window on 270… and then do it again.
Wish more people would acknowledge that some absentee parents might be absent because they are working multiple jobs. Poverty might be a big part of why they aren't around as much, not just not giving a shit.
My parents worked all the time and I know for a fact my life would be over if I stole a car, let alone a dozen. You can be busy and also just not give a shit.
Yes, it is true, they are not mutually exclusive, but it's possible for it to be one or the other as well. Also think it is more likely to be occuring for single parents.
While all the reasons listed are likely culprits why there is a youth uptick in felony level crime.
I’ll speculate what is really enhancing this trend today is “social media clout and stardom”, correct me if I am wrong but even the “Kia Boys” stemmed from a TikTok called “Game-Over Kids”. You have people committing these criminal acts- recording it and sharing it on social media and receiving internet clout.
Underrated comment. There seems to be no other gain with the “Kia Boy” thefts beyond impressing peers and social media clout. They don’t keep the vehicles, they don’t part them out and sell anything, they often don’t even take anything out of the vehicle beyond petty vandalism: tearing out the lane departure camera, ripping off the rear view mirror, or popping off the circuit cover. It’s solely a thrill theft done to impress other misguided kids.
Agreed.. but I would also call out rising materialism as another factor caused by all medias, advertising, etc.
I’m curious what actual statistics are for juvenile crime. Is it actually up that much? Yes, I know about the carjacking and thrill seeking, and it’s tragic all around.
But if we’re talking about actual crimes committed, is this a big change? As a kid who grew up in Old Towne East in the 80s-90s, things have been bad in the past, too. Does anyone have actual numbers comparing past years?
My thoughts as well. Growing up on the westside I saw all kinds of stuff. I feel like it’s just all reported much heavier now.
Crime across the board was a lot higher in the 80s and 90s that should not be our baseline. That should be our worse case scenario.
I’m not saying we should accept an uptick in crime, or that these aren’t real issues. I was just asking what sort of uptick we actually have, not just impressions and perceptions.
Because their so called parents don’t give a shit.
The judicial system. Many of the Kia Boys have been arrested multiple times, some even the day before they get re-arrested.
Kids are on them dang cell phones too much. 
There may be a social media effect making this seem more apparent and visible than before. Don't know what it was like in the 80s, 90s, or 2000s because I'm sure a lot of smaller crimes just never even made the news before Facebook, twitter and other social media services came about. The violent crime rate now is still half of what it was in the early 90s and has been dropping since the 90s.
Columbus has been tracking violent crime since 2003 and it's down by nearly half as well.
More is making the news, but things are getting safer over time despite the perception to the contrary.
Lack of parenting, according to the people I know in the law enforcement and social services systems.
Disenfranchisement. When young people feel like there is no hope for the future, why wouldn’t they “live it up” now?
A parallel can be seen in Russia (pre Ukraine invasion) where the young people who have nothing to look forward to would just go crazy. Remember all the teens/twenties who died “planking” on balconies, doing parkour, and driving/motorcycling insanely?
I’m not gonna deep dive, but our local and federal government’s inability to make meaningful progress against climate change and repairing democracy is really messing kids up.
This is the correct response. Disenfranchisement is 100% it.
Although I doubt these kids really care about climate change or broken government. Really more of a lack of opportunity and they’re smart enough to recognize they have little chance at upward mobility or improving their survival mode circumstances.
they’re smart enough to recognize they have little chance at upward mobility or improving their survival mode circumstances.
They do have a chance at upward mobility. Everybody does.
Stealing multiple cars a day to go on a joyride is the reason that their shot at upward mobility is decreasing, and at the same time are likely quashing someone else's chance at upward mobility.
Yeah I really doubt these kids are stealing cars 4x a day because of an alleged flaw in democracy.
This is one of the stupidest explanations I've seen for awhile now.
Absolutely, no matter what, you cannot suggest that people might have agency on this website. Everyone is just a static blob being pushed around by external forces except for the rich cabal who controls everything.
Teepeeing houses and stuff is fun as a kid. Yes you know you shouldn’t be doing it, but that’s half the fun. As more and more taboo gets dismissed in society, petty pranks have turned into real crime.
Lack of intact families and role models.
Ugh not this. “Intact” families filled with people who shouldn’t be near each other can be far more harmful than going it alone as a parent. Its the environment not the number of people in it. Yeesh.
I think a lot of kids fell off the map during the year they were out of school and ended up in all sorts of bad spots. when i was in high school a decade ago i felt like social media was making me crazy and it's gotten so much worse since then so that probably doesn't help
Lack of consequence for their actions. The juvenile justice system is broken. First time offenders get a slap on the wrist and juvenile probation and that’s it.
They probably don’t even have parents or their parents are too busy working trying to make ends meet, I don’t think it helps either when they know it’s just catch and release if they get caught up.
I think it's cause they are taking pot.
As another poster said, crime is going down. Violent crime is about 1/2 what it was 20 years ago.
What you’re seeing is actually the result of falling ad revenue for local news. Basically, the Dispatch and local TV news can barley afford to pay reporters anymore. So instead of doing actual investigative reporting, they just repost anything they read on Facebook. Due to the way the Facebook algorithm works, terms like “Kia Boys” get hits.
In short, crime is down, but the local reporters have to get clicks or views so that they justify a small amount of ad revenue to keep the lights on.
Long story short it's the legal system. The police can arrest these kids as many times as they can but the juvenile legal system allows the kids to be let back out in as little as a few hours in some cases. The criminals know this and put the kids up to do their dirty work knowing they wont be penalized as harshly as an adult would.
This right here! Mix it with social media and this is the answer.
Breakdown of the nuclear family. Lack of father figures. It’s sad
“Father figures “ can eat my black taint honestly. Nothing a dad can do in a family that a you tube tutorial couldn’t easily replace. Bob Villas you tube channel is my dad now.
Ignorant.
Such a scathing indictment. 
Do people use these little emojis? I feel like no they don’t.
Combination of the impacts of Social Media and horrible parenting.
Who’s gonna stop them?
Parents are working multiple jobs just to eat or are checked out.
Local cops won’t do anything. Why do we have such a large budget for them?
Juvenile system doesn’t rehabilitate..
Why are you phrasing your opinion in the form of a question and asking us to explain it to you as though it's a documented fact?
I honestly just think it seems that way with all the media attention, but the area’s population has grown dramatically in a short period of time. An uptick in people is going to lead to more crime. Also, the school systems have had a hard time with the influx of children and the outdated facilities and lack of funding. Add to that, there’s less activities to do because a lot of things get overcrowded so quickly. I think Whitehall and reynoldsburg are doing a good job trying to take care of this and make the cities more walkable. In case anyone wants see the plans
Outdated facilities and lack of funding? Apart from issue 50 in 2013, which was rejected due to charter school inclusion, I can’t remember a school levy ever failing in this city.
Public schools have been underfunded since I’ve been alive. A lot of these older schools need to be torn down and new ones built. Not just because they are falling apart or because they probably have lead and asbestos, either. Class sizes are much bigger than they used to be. Have you ever noticed all those “ temporary “ pod buildings at schools? That’s because they don’t have the room inside the school for these kids, so that pod is there classroom. Not to mention staffing shortages and teachers who pay out of pocket for classroom supplies and any number of things I failed to mention. It’s awesome we have passed so many levies, but our schools still need more funding.
Gen Z
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11mo
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11mo
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11mo
Unfortunately, minimum living wage is around $24.
And almost anytime prior to 2022 would be a better time for entry-level jobs.
Well, since 1979, anyway - that's when I started my first job, so I suppose I can't speak for before then.
More importantly, if what you're saying is true, why doesn't reality reflect it? Why are they still out there, broke and frustrated, joyriding KIAs?
No, "These kids" are acting out because of a few things. Why? Well, sociologically, the biggest drivers of juvenile criminality are:
Poverty. Middle class families have less available resources on average than their counterparts of any previous generation since WWII.
Low parental monitoring. While there's plenty of talk about "teens gone wild", here's not a lot of talk to teens: They're young men & women with few places to go, few things to do, and no one listening to them.
Sound like a weak reason? Well, consider that they're an entire generation saying, "We don't want to get shot!." that's getting the reply, "lol just get under your desk.".
Which is kind of hard, as most schools can't afford desks - or enough teachers.
- Harsh penalties for deviance. These kids aren't their parents or older siblings or anyone else, for that matter. They have their own values, ones that might clash with the previous generation's values.
Crack down on them over this, make even the mildest non-conformity an issue, and it alienates them - and they begin disrespecting existing cultural norms more & more.
So just imagine what the growing push of inflexible conservativism - with antiabortion, the persecution of the LGBTQ+ community and the dehumanization of trans people all on parade - motivates in them.,
Outside of 270? Poor.
Yes, all of these poor towns outside of 270 like Dublin, New Albany, Gahanna and Granville.
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11mo
If you haven’t been out there for awhile, some of these places are starting to come back to life.
I blame covid.
How many thousands of "youths" are there in Cbus, but a couple hundred are dangerous jerks, and you think this is a moral panic??? There have always been dangerous jerk kids, whether they are tipping cows or tipping Kias. I haven't seen any stats indicating there is a major growth in teenage crime.
I specifically said I did not want moral panic. How was that confusing?
If you haven't noticed the growth in youth crime you aren't paying attention.
Not me
Decline in moral standards, increase in poor single parent households, rise of moral relativism, cultural decay.
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Absentee parents, boredom, flawed justice system with limited enforcement, poverty/socioeconomic status (theft because they can’t afford food, ex), unsavory “friends”, low self-esteem, high rates of depression and anxiety, peer pressure, they haven’t been taught any better, acting out for attention, etc. there’s no single answer.