I wear hoodie... But I'm goodie
UNDERAGE boozing, drugs, sex, street fighting ? British teens
are Europe ’s worst for all of these, says a
new report. But The Sun met one streetwise teen who says you don’t have to
break laws to be cool.
Oliver
Jones, 16, reckons although he wears hoodies and meets his pals in the park
after school, he still gets good grades and respects his parents. The Hampshire
lad says:
TEENAGERS in the UK Britain
I’m 6ft 3in and look a bit
older than my age so it would be easy to get served in bars and go out on the
lash but I’d rather hang out with my mates.
We play footie in someone’s
garden after school or hang out in the park. We just have a laugh and take the
mick out of one another. We never insult or annoy anyone, just do our own
thing. But these kinds of studies scare people into thinking that we’re out to
cause harm, even when we’re not.
I’m really into my music. I’ve
been playing the electric guitar for about a year. Jimi Hendrix is my hero. Me
and my mates often go to see gigs. I like heavy metal as well as stuff like The
Killers and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Most weekends we go to a party
at one of our houses, usually about 20 of us. We mostly listen to music and
chat. I don’t do drugs because it’s a waste of money. I know some people who
might smoke a joint but when people start doing it every day, it ruins their
lives.
Things have been a bit quiet
recently as we’ve all been taking our GCSEs. I worked pretty hard and reckon
I’ll get As and Bs. I need to work hard because I want to be a policeman.
I get on with most of the
teachers, particularly my music teacher, and I usually hand my homework in on
time. Now exams are over, I can chill out. I’ve always been popular with the
girls but I’m in a relationship with a girl called Abbi who I’ve been seeing
for about a year.
There are girls at my school
who sleep around but I don’t respect them. They think sex is like a sport but
I’d rather be in a serious relationship. I think they’re setting themselves up
for a fall.
I live with my dad and step-mum. They’re both
teachers so they’re quite strict and they won’t let me get away with much.
I have to sit down and eat
dinner with them in the evening and they’re always checking on me to see if
I’ve done my homework. Usually I get told off if my room’s a mess or if my
music’s up too loud. It’s annoying, I’m my own person, but I just have to get
on with it. I’d never swear at them and I always tell them where I’m going and
when I’ll get back. It’s easier to do what I’m told than to argue with them. And
they do loads of stuff for me so I suppose it’s only fair if I abide by their
rules.
People don’t pick on me because
I’m tall. I go the gym. I’m not mega muscly but I’m not weak either. I won’t
stand for it if someone starts harassing me for no reason but I’d probably just
walk away.
At the end of the day
everyone’s different and these reports are wrong to brand all UK
The Sun Newspaper Oct 2007
