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Not sure how to handle this - problems with kids / youths

random

I have had some on going problems with kids / youths in my neighbourhood. I was working all day from home, I needed a break and needed to get some food from a shop down the road, its a short walk

Its a bog standard road, not much traffic with a narrow path to walk on. A couple of kids, I would expect around 12 years old, on bikes on path approach in other direction. I had my mind on other things, but moved to right the edge of pavement to let them pass.

Just as the second kid passes me, he turns his head and spits at me. Was feeling shocked and angry. I am on change of medication, and was feeling drowsy from it. I turn round, and can see the first kid stopped on the pavement, turning round looking at me I feel to see my reaction.

Nothing I can do, I can't out run them on bikes. A couple of weeks back the same kids were hanging around on the pavment at the corner of my house for a long time, felt uneasy at the time about them. With medication I am on my feelings are not as heavy as they would be.

When I return home, I decide to report it online to the police. Have discussed earlier problems which have been more serious, but thought it would help me to just get it logged with them.

Now the police want to visit me, but after the experience with them after my assault at a music gig. I am feeling really bad about the visit, have felt let down by the police. 

Since my diagnosis, I feel I am being targetted because of my ASC, for being odd, a soft touch, but also because of other problems where I have had confrontation with neighbours, who think it is ok to dismantle the garden fence and use my garden as they please. 

Random

  • How horrible for you, Random. I can understand your reticence after previous unsatisfactory experiences with the police. One thing about spitting is that the perpetrator is providing a DNA sample which pins the crime to them. It doesn't matter whether the spot lands on you or not, the act of spring at you constitutes assault (as far as I remember) and can lead to the perpetrator being fined for a small penalty. I don't have experience of going through this process, but I have been told that the police can be keen to deal with this, especially if they know (yet can't easily prove) that the same person is causing lots of problems.

    You did the right thing by reporting it, because it will be logged. It also means you haven't stayed silent about a wrongdoing. If you decide to meet with the police you should be able to have someone with you (e.g. a friend, worker or advocate), meet at a venue you're most comfortable with (home, the police station or a neutral venue like a cafe or, with their agreement, an organisation's meeting room) and request that the police officers wear plain clothes rather than a uniform, or anything else that would make it easier for you to speak with them.

    It can be a difficult balance to find between putting up neighbours or taking action which may possible lead to worse behaviour. Telling the police about neighbours using your garden without permission will help them get a clearer picture of how you are being affected, even if you don't want them to speak to your neighbours. If your neighbours are in social housing, they could risk losing their tenancy if they don't behave properly.

    As a general point, if anyone is worried about reporting experiences like spitting or physical or verbal abuse/harassment to the police, this could actually constitute a hate crime and if it isn't reported the police don't know how big a problem it is or any patterns such as location. Some organisations provide a third party reporting service and you can choose whether or not to give your name, while still having some information passed to the police on your behalf. There is some information about disability hate crime at report-it.org.uk/disability_hate_crime1 . I know not everyone here will identify as disabled, but that would be the category most relevant to autistic people/people with autism as well as those incorrectly perceived as disabled or targeted due to being associated with disabled people.

    Each local area should have a community policing team or officer, though the exact name of them may be different in different areas. You can contact them for general advice about keeping safe even if you don't want to give details of a specific crime or incident. You may also be able to get in contact with an officer who has a specific remit for disability.

  • Random, I am so sorry that you were the target for some abuse.  You don't deserve it at all, and spitting is horrible.

    I would talk to the police about it.  Maybe they would tell you what to do if the boys do it again, and maybe they are already known for doing that kind of thing, you don't know.

    Yesterday at an autism support group we were talking about assertiveness, not aggression, but being assertive.  You do need to talk to the police.  These boys need to be checked before they go onto to do something else.

    This is my opinion, others may have other opinions.  But do take care, and don't be afraid of going out of the home.

    Margaret