The question of whether the use of high-pitched whistles to disperse gangs of unruly teenagers is ethical comes at a time when negative images of the young have never been more plentiful.
They range from the drunken yobbery that we all see in the streets to deeply unsettling accounts of gang-related savagery that thankfully most of us only read about in the media.
Some years ago, the satirical magazine Private Eye carried a cartoon which featured a middle-aged couple peering nervously at a road sign that read: “Danger — teenagers ahead.” It was grimly accurate even at the time ….
But the Mosquito alarm, with its ability to disperse teenagers by emitting a high-pitched whistle that only the sharp ears of the young can hear, has gone a stage further — perhaps because of its denigrating similarity to a dog whistle — and has stirred up a debate on whether society is demonising its young people.
It’s over the top, it doesn’t discriminate between the guilty and the innocent and it is demeaning, says one side.
The other side says it’s harmless, it’s effective and that even law-abiding youngsters think it’s a good idea.
Do you believe the Mosquito is symbolic of an increasing tendency to demonise every young person because of the bad behaviour of a few?
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47 comments so far
i think that it is dispicable that the government are tryin to ruin the childhood of the children.
this device is going to ruin the society aand cause the younger generation to rebel against it.
- Posted by louis denhamMaybe the government and parents should start looking at the root causes of all the problems in society and then ridiculous devices like this wouldn’t even be dreamt up. Until this country wakes up and starts embracing family values again the problem is just going to get worse and worse - why are these children out of the street causing trouble in the first place? Because the parents don’t care or don’t even know to care - on our estate their are children as young as five out at night, just left to their own devices so its no wonder there are all these problems. ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!
- Posted by Dave“The other side says it’s harmless, it’s effective and that even law-abiding youngsters think it’s a good idea.” Tell that to my kids aged 2 and 9 who have to suffer the discomfort twice a day walking to and from school past a house with one of these devices fitted.
- Posted by AndyI’m guessing the people who are so scared of “demonising the young” have never had their lives utterly disrupted by drunken kids hanging around residential areas at all hours.
- Posted by LolaAs a compromise, switch the device on after 9pm so we adults can enjoy some peace and quiet and the kids can go home and get some sleep.
Does everything have to be so black and white? I doubt anyone is saying banish all children, lets just encourage them to go home at a reasonable hour!
These devices are dispicable, whoever came up with the design is clearly a moron! I am twenty seven not seventeen and the noise they make drives me up the wall. Just because a large proportion of society loose the ability to hear sounds at the frequencies used doesn’t mean we all do, and why should we suffer whilst you (the seller) earns a fast buck.
This leaves asside the argument that its an unfair way to treat children but whilst I agree it is I would like to point out that children are not the only people these things annoy.
I am all for dispersing troublesome groups of
thugs hanging out near shops and intimidating members of the public but at the same time entirely against these moronic devices!
Get them out of our towns!
- Posted by DanI think everyone would have different idea of a reasonable time. It’s not just law abiding youngsters that are being targeted unfairly but also those who can do nothing about it. Babies and disabled children without the ability to express what discomfort they are in are targeted and thier parents may not know a single thing about what is happening to their child at the time.
- Posted by leeIt’s a disgrace to put any innocent through that.
If the devices start becoming used on a widespread basis i think its only a matter of time before these “drunken kids” rebel.
I think the main problem is giving children a safe area to play without dirupting others. In my area since they closed the school football to anyone out of school hours there has been whole heaps trouble on the streets, and seeing the gangs there i know i wouldnt wanna’ be sitting in the house with this device buzzing cos’ i’d wake up with no windows left.
where can I get one?
- Posted by jonThese things are damn annoying. You don’t seem to understand that they don’t just affect kids, people can hear them until they are about 25. When I finish uni, I want to go and buy a copy of the FT, but I can’t, because my local newsagent has installed one of these things. I dislike gangs of drunk teenage kids as much as the next man, but this is not the way my friends, this is not the way. I have got a radical idea. How about, instead of playing with these damn machines, we arrest these people and charge them with being drunk and disorderly, and maybe punish their parents too, for letting it happen. That might solve the problem, and stop causing the young such distress.
- Posted by ArnieWhere can I get hold of one of these devices?
- Posted by SethI do feel that all of us being ‘young’ once (and still are) that we should indeed not start using this sort of Tecnological “solutions” to sort out problems that need Grown Up attention!
- Posted by ArthurApart from anything else I haven’t heard anything at all about also animals that can be put to this sort of misery!
I’m all for trying to find other solutions!
I feel these devices are a good idea especially if they are used appropriately, turn the machines on at 9pm. We have had to put up with unruly kids causing mayhem on our streets for too long, at least this device is trying to give us law abiding adults a bit of piece and quiet.
- Posted by CarolineAlthough I’m 33 I can still hear these mosquitoe devices and it doesnt bother me in the slightest especially as I go to the shops shop then come home
- Posted by Chrisie I dont hang around causing a nuisance…
Problem is it just drives the kids elsewhere to cause a nuisance.
If it harmlessly deters nuisance or, to use the
- Posted by Jan Bolsoverother common term , ‘feral’gangs from hanging around and behaving anti socially: ie loud swearing , cocky by weight of sheer numbers , playing football at 11pm and all the usual (often drunken) antics that we all witness on running the gauntlet to the local shop or chinese takeaway,then the wishy washy hug a thug brigade should mind their own business.
Some time ago, I witnessed a dark hear lady stealing from a store and hiding her stolen goods on an inside pocket of her blue jacket. Perhaps we should kill those who produce blue jackets and those who produce dark hear colouring (including natural one?).
- Posted by MeRemove them, it can be heard by people under 25, im 19 im at university and wishing to work with young people in the future! did you not hang around with your friends when you were younger? why cant they!
not all teenagers are bad, so why install something thats going to affect them all? if they think society is against them, they’re going to recognise this and be against society leading to a self fulfilling prophecy!
get rid of them and spend the money on something that will keep the young people entertained not make them outcasts in society
- Posted by Avsi think the mosquito device is a disgrace. im 17 and i live in belfast so the device hasnt made it here yet but if it ever did i reckon there will be an uproar of teenagers my age as we are being treated like dogs. how would the people who made the device like to be treated like this. not only are people my age being treated like dogs but young children will be affected by it, its not fair to treat them like that just because the government cant come up with a good idea to stop street crime. the main reason street crime is so high is because people my age are board all the government is doing is building houses, it gets annoying after a while. we want something to do, where i live we have nothing, the closest lesuire centre around us is on the other side of town and in a protestant area im a catholic so i cant go to it obviously because where i live is where the troubles where so its not fair that everywhere you look houses are getting built. everywhere me and my friends go the police take our names its a disgrace we have no freedom as it is, if we got something to do then street crime would drop dramitacall and i would know.
- Posted by corey breenI think these devices are awful. At 19, my hearing is still acute enough for this screech to effect me!
- Posted by Dani WalshI was outside my local shopping centre the other day and had to leave as the noise was bothering me so much. I only sympathise with the young children being affected by this awful contraption. I feel put in a box with yobs.
Research with young people has revealed that they already feel a lack of welcoming places to go, mosquito devices could only make it worse.
Not only does it target all children, it also ignores the fact that for some young people there is a necessity to go to certain places. This is especially true for those who act as a carer and whose parents rely on their support to help them with daily activities.
Plus, really young children in pushchairs and prams can’t control their whereabouts – which means they could be suffering from the mosquito, unable to move away from the noise where their parents unaware.
Young people need proper places to go that are easily accessible and don’t cost the earth.
- Posted by EmmaThis stuff is LONG overdue. Would those people who have melodramatically claimed that these devices will “ruin childhood” (Louise Denham take note) please form an orderly queue & explain to the widow & family of Garry Newlove why these devices seem unreasonable when compared to the behaviour of his murderers. For God’s sake get a grip, and start pressuring the parents in your own communities to tackle the yobs rather than mouthing off against the government.
Social breakdown is fundamentally to blame for these problems, not the government. It’s about time British society stopped looking for scapegoats & started taking some responsibility.
- Posted by Darren OldfieldA friend of mine is 24 and can still hear the noise made by these devices. He has to travel a lot by train for his job and is affected by every station that has them. They made him physically sick and he has ringing in his ears for hours afterwards so how is this classified as “harmless”.
And what about the non-violent children and young adults who use these places. For example, the teenager who pays money to use a train then has to sit and wait with his hands over his ears, still in agony?
These devices treat innocent people like yobs and prevent them from accessing the services that they pay for and have a right to. Anti-social kids will probably just go somewhere else that hasn’t got the devices and destroy that instead! Shifting the problem elsewhere isn’t a decent way of dealing with it!
- Posted by Mark BarwellWell behaved younger people including babies I would assume have no need to loiter in an area where this device is being used. I have noticed at a local small store that they no longer have this problem with the usual gang of teenagers gathering outside.
Well done to the designer of this device I am all in favour.
Father of a teenage son
- Posted by Paul CatherallI like how this article comes right after:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/newsOne/id UKL1116996620080211?sp=true
where a youth gang (about 12) attack and kill a 16 year old kid
if this device were to be used in this instance and even if it effected the 16 year old kid, it would eventually save his life. If he were to run towards one.
I am 23 and this would affect me too, so im not saying it from an “adult” point of view. I have an understanding that the devices will only affect one that has prolonged exposure. So what really needs to be decided is where these products are placed and when they are “turned on”
- Posted by @I suddenly panicked and thought it was April 1st when I heard this news item. I really do find it impossible to believe or comprehend. I cannot believe we are doing this to anyone, no matter what age, no matter what perceived or real nuisance they may be.
- Posted by CatherineI don’t even like kids but I am still in a state of some shock that devices like this can be legally used in a supposedly civilised country. Ban and criminalise their use asap
- Posted by keithThis divice is no way to deal with the problem and has only been accepted because it targets young people. Let’s imagine there were a machine to banish the over 60’s from an area of town. There would be public outrage. The device is accepted purely because it does not affect the over twenty fives who are in power. The device is indiscriminant, attacking anyone under the age of twenty five in the area. Not every young person is a public menace. The vast majority are polite, curteous and cause no harm to those around us. The problem is one of public perception of the majority, as wel as dealing with the minority of young offenders. The solution is for adults to see the good side of young people and better policing for offenders, not a weapon which tarets all young people indiscriminant of their actions.
- Posted by Conor RocheI think it’s disgusting. It’s like the morons that say all muslims are going to blow us up, it’s just not true. and it’s the same here. there a hundreds of kids that have to suffer because of these when they’ve done nothing wrong. and you forget, we are just as intimidated by the gang’s as you are!
But just as a side note I would like to add, i am 15 and I can’t hear them. I could when i was about 5 though wchich just goes to show that many people are bgeing affected by them, not just gangs. they don’t even work as they should, i think i may go loiter outside woolworths now, i’m sure they will get a shock when they see that it doesn’t work.
- Posted by SamFiddling around with gizmos like this and similar gimmicks like ASBOs is like taking aspirin to cure cancer. The country is sick and has been made so by government social engineering policies. Get rid of the government and you get rid of the policies and their consequences. Use your vote and get these freaks out of office.
- Posted by Mike TThe people that invented this device obviously have never heard it. Do they understand it’s not just teenages that hear it? I’m 23 years old and am well and truly an adult - I can still hear this high-frequency sound. I know of people in their 30’s that can hear it too. It’s not completely unusual either. People that are considering using this device need to bear in mind that not only is it awful to treat teenagers like dogs, they will also be warding off adults.
- Posted by LaurenYes there is a problem of SOME youngsters hanging around aimlessly at bus shelters and outside some shops, et. Some of those are unruly and aggressive. That problem needs to be addressed, most especially by parents and by the community providing facilities for them that THEY will be interested in and motivated by.
But theses devices treat ALL young people, including babies in pushchairs, as a kind of vermin. What is the message we send out by using them? ALL YOUNG PEOPLE ARE A PROBLEM.
As most psychologists will tell you, you have now subtly told them what you expect and they will obligingly fulfill it. The problem will increase.
The devices MUST be banned.
- Posted by Richard JefferiesHave you noticed that the people who want these removed are people who never have to bear the problems caused by the minority of yobs in our society? The childrens’ minister, Sir ‘double-barrelled’ name, that useless excuse for the boss of Liberty and those Government ministers who can see a vote in siding with them. The answer is to have more Police on the streets and make sure that crime it deterred.
- Posted by John WilliamsI think its a great invention, one of the few weapons we have to combat yobs, and people want to ban it?
Why dont we just hand over the country to the yobs!
A few innocent people would experience this, but there must be sacrifices to make our once great country, Great again!
A few people with headaches is better than a few people with stab wounds!
- Posted by K. CreevyIn my point of view you can’t put teenagers all under the same level. There might be many teens who are behaving anti socially and there are definitely some who have to suffer because of this circumstances caused by some stupid teens.
- Posted by M.ScheckThe Mosquito disturbes the “well-educated” teenagers as well.
Why do some teenagers have to suffer because of the bad behaviour of a few?
In my opinion “The Mosquito” should be applied at places where teenagers often cause problems like robbery or vandalizing, because much trouble could be avoid. But when you are innocent and you only want to go e.g. shopping or working, it would be really cruel. Not every teenager makes waves, some of them are really kind.Some people say it is harmless, but it does not differ between the teenagers who are criminal and the not criminal ones.
- Posted by samThe problem is that the Mosquito is a tool, which damages all people, who can hear the noise, not only violent teenagers. Maybe it should be installed at “Hot Places” like pubs or places, which are attractive for robbers. An option would also be to activate them only in the evening / during the night to force away them only at a certain time.
- Posted by D.SpiroIn my opinion “The Mosquito” is not an usefull mehtod to cast out the teenagers from a concret place, because the teenagers will get more agrresive as they actually are.
- Posted by Armend X.Furthermore you can´t say that every teenager has an anti social behaviour, there are many teenagers who are well educated and it is not fair if they all have to suffer just because there are some stupid people in this country.
From my point of view “The Mosquito” is a step into the wrong way. If you want to solve the teenage violence problem you have to help them to get their way back to social life instead of just banisching them from the streets. “The Mosquito” does not prevent teenagers from being violent, it piques their agressions and disturbs innocent people who still here “the M”.
- Posted by J. HeistelmanI think that the Mosquito is kind of cruel.
- Posted by L.MöllingerIt might work with teenagers that hang around shopping malls or otherplaces but it also hurts innocent children,teenagers and also young adults.
So, I don’t think that a method which harms more than it helps is reasonable.
I think the mosquito is the wrong tool to teach teenagers the right behaviour.
- Posted by K.KleinIt generalizes all teenagers though not all show wrong behavour, they become punished and this is unfair.
Another point is that also grown-ups can hear the annoying noise so there are lots of ways to do s.th against the few teenagers that behave wrong it’s not necessary to punish all of them
In my opinion “The Mosquito” is a kind of nonsense.
- Posted by A. MüllerIn the product information is written that they will discourage young people from spraying graffiti and teenager will leave the area, where “The Mosquito” is used, within an average of 8 - 10 minutes. That is senseless because they have got 8 - 10 minutes to spray their graffitis and then they can leave the area for a few minutes and then they can try again.
Furthermore teenagers will be disturbed by “The Mosquito” even when they go shopping.
So in my opinion “The Mosquito” isn’t a good solution to get teenagers away from special areas.
Banning under 25-years olds from crowded places is, after my opinion, discrimination, that also harms the shop owners themselves, as the friendly teens will hardly keep on buying there as well. This also concerns mothers, having to take their children with them. There are much more effectives way to get rid of bothering persons, but just sending them away is the worst they can do. Creating sensible activities to do would be a huge better thing to do.
- Posted by Diana L.In my opinion “The Mosquito´´ isn´t a good invention to solve the problem of the teenage violence in shopping malls or on other public places.
- Posted by Simon S.I can´t understand why all teenagers in the area will have to suffer just because a few other teenagers are going to act against the law. Other young people would be disturbed although they are unguilty.
Technology isn´t the right way to educate young people.
Other solutions have to be found.
In my opinion i think “The Mosquito” isn’t the perfect solution because not every teenager is violent or is acting foolish.
- Posted by Valeria F.So you can’t punish all youth and teenagers.
I think it would be a better idea to look for the reasons why those young people are violating against the law.
You would have more succes if you help them systematical.
In conclusion can be said that it is definitly the wrong way
to lump all teenagers and youth together.
I’m of the opinion that this is only a temporary solution, because the government has no better ideas left, but the main problem with teenage violence isn’t solved by the Mosquito.
- Posted by Ludmilla K.The government should start projects to help teenagers to get out of the violence situation e.g. by offering different activities instead of provocating them by forbiding to go to special places.
The Mosquito could make the problem even worse, because teenagers could feel they are attacked when they are driven out of normal places where everybody can go besides them. They feel that they are not welcome and may seperate themselves even more from the adult world, what is a cause of the problem. It’s like a never ending circle.
Furthermore the Mosquito doesn’t make a difference between guilty and innocent people, what is unfair to those who really don’t want to harm anybody.
My opinion to the “Mosquito” is negativ.
- Posted by J. FardowsiI think it’s unethical.
You can’t treat teenagers like dogs and determine where they can go and where not.
They are humans, too.
Another problem is that the “Mosquito” is too general.
All teenagers under 25-years get punished by the sound but not all show wrong behavour.
When the teenagers have activities they wouldn’t be bored and don’t hang on in shopping malls.
We should find a better solution to fight against the violence.
people who support the use of this device have no idea how to deal with teenagers, i guess. i think it’s almost obvious that it’s just a question of time until the youth will rebel. it seems understandable: nobody wants to be threaten like a dog. this is not the right way to handle this problem, not only because of all the innocent children and even older people who will suffer from this whistle but also because of the questionableness if this device is ethnical.
- Posted by Sandra G.it makes much more sense to handle with the youth so that a better relationship between adults and teenagers becomes possible. when this happens it will be easier to deal with each other in critical situations.
I think the “Mosquito” is a step in the wrong direction.
- Posted by Alex P.Anyone under the age of 25 will not be able to wait outside a shop for a lift etc, without ear-splitting noises.
For example, a woman with a baby will not be able to visit shops without upsetting her child.
In my opinion the mosquito is not the final solution to the problem with violent teenagers. The biggest disadvantage of this device is, as some people already said, all teenagers and even some who are older can hear it and are deadly annoyed by it (althogh they are peaceful). And we have to remember, that those teenagers are still humans, not some vermin which has to be scared away by machines. And even if you imagine a place which is a hot spot for teenagers and where the mosquito was installed: Those violent teenagers will either destroy it or go to another place which does not have something like the mosquito.
- Posted by Philipp G.Those those violent teenagers should rather be educated by school and by their parents so that they aren’t violent and then we would not need that machines.