“I started going out with my friends at night and hanging out in the park. At first it was fun just to hang out and talk, but then people would get bored and want to go somewhere else.

One night we climbed over the fence and into the school.
It was fun being there without any teachers around and I wanted to impress one of the girls, so I kicked one of the cars in the car park.

Then the security guards appeared - they had seen everything on CCTV and had called the police. Most of my friends were sent home but the police took me home to tell my parents what I’d done. They were so disappointed in me and I felt really bad. I hadn’t really thought about what I was doing and it was a bit of fun at first. I now realise it wasn’t - I got a warning from the police and my parents had to pay for the damage to the car. They’ve now taken away my pocket money and I’ve been grounded.

Looking back I have now realised that you have to stop and think about how your actions can hurt other people. My parents have started to forgive me but I’m going to prove that they can trust me again.”


Mike got carried away and did something that he knew was wrong. It can be easy to get caught up in a situation when you are trying to impress your friends but things can look very different in the morning.

It’s good to spend time with your friends, have fun and make each other laugh but remember to think about other people. It’s also an important part of growing up to think about other people. A big group of young people can seem very intimidating to someone by themselves.

Make sure your behaviour doesn’t make other people feel threatened. Hang out at someone’s house instead of on the street; it will be warmer, there’ll be more food and drink available, and you won’t run into any trouble.

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