Who else hears sirens around town and thinks, "oh I'll check Cop stops and see what's going on". I do, and in times like that I appreciate having a platform where the community can inform each other. However, there is so much harm this space can potentially trigger in someone's mental health.
Posts badgering young people daily are not helpful or pleasant to read. It's actually draining receiving a notification on that page at times. Especially after a mean day at mahi, when I have been around a bunch of awesome tai tamariki.
So, it is a concern to know there are many other tai tamariki without the tools to help them make the best choices for themselves.
It's like a broken record that sticks, BE KIND! This needs to be repeated until it sinks in. People don't know how their words impact on another person's life, I'm sure we have all made mistakes or something stupid while we were young.
It is disheartening to hear that some young people are in a difficult place in life right now which impacts on their ability to make good decisions.
Some believe because people know better, young people should do better, well I can tell you right now, that is blimmen hard. I catch myself slipping all the time, yet I do know better ... does that mean I deserve to be punished?
Sometimes it is too hard doing what's right when doing what's wrong is so much easier - and that's the truth! Just like self-care, you know what you need to do yet sometimes it's easier to do nothing.
When you have struggled throughout life, it is way harder trying to have a positive outlook and make healthy decisions, especially when your environment isn't allowing that growth.
Why expect them to do better with no guidance or support? Some people have been fortunate enough to be able to choose right from wrong, without the challenges and circumstances others find themselves in.
I know a lot of people don't identify as being privileged but they are ... geez even I've become more privileged these days, it's the advantage of not being categorised as a 'bludger' because I'm working full-time. How lucky am I to not be stigmatised anymore, it's buzzy.
In my younger days when I was hanging around town, I'd always get filthy looks from people or they would grab their kids and bags tightly as they walked past me. That used to agitate me so much, like triggering. It made me want to do something to them just because they thought I was a threat to them or their child.
It's crazy how another person's actions and prejudgment can spark such emotions. I certainly don't get looked at that way now, yet I'm the same girl, I just have somewhere else to be nowadays.
I do want to make it clear, I am not justifying the actions of others, especially those putting other people in danger or at harm, but I am proclaiming that writing a status from the comfort of a warm home on a phone that has data or access to Wi-Fi does not give anyone the right to give judgement.
A social media post or comment has ripple effects not only on the individual who is being attacked but the people who are reading the comments.
It is sad to hear stories from victims and the impact other's actions have had on their lives. Be kind and support each other to recover from these situations. Do not use their experience to share personal views about particular groups of people, that is not the solution, it does not help, it causes more stress ... just let it go, it's not yours to carry.
With all of this going on, some community members are being proactive like Jayden, a young member of the Cop Stops group and our community.
Jayden initiated a meeting with Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai a few weeks ago and livestreamed the interview on the group to allow public to listen in as Jayden raised concerns regarding the recent crime events in the community.
Though council and government have obligations to us, we also have responsibilities to each other if we want a community where we are all thriving.
• Anahera Pickering is community outreach co-ordinator at Whangārei Youth Space. She can be contacted at Anahera@youthspace.co.nz
