Society needs to take responsibility for its actions, and parents need to get involved, and start metering out their own punishment
I totally agree Dave, the problem is their parents have already failed them by ignoring a decent upbringing for their children. The conversation will go something like "
I hope you have not been getting involved in all the rioting" No Mam! i have not been down their, but my mate was, and he says you can have a Plasma for £30.
Son that's good to know you has not been involved, is there anything else we can have off him." 
There is no excuse for this kind of behavior, but most of these kids have not much of a future anyhow. Our teenagers are the main ones suffering in the current economic climate, and we help them by cutting out of the budget, the little support they got.

I happen to agree with the need for Austerity at this time, but it does create a dog eat dog mentality, and every man for himself.
