Jesmond ASB Residents Group exposed: The worst things they’ve said about students

“These are supposed to be intelligent young people”

3 years ago

anti-social behaviour anti-student asb facebook jesmond newcastle student

The Jesmond ASB Residents Group on Facebook was set up in July of last year for residents to discuss and report anti-social behaviour in the Jesmond area. The group shares experiences of anti-social behaviour and provides solidarity for members, due to the area having a high student population and thus higher levels of noise in the evenings and at night.

The group’s rules include a commitment for members to “be kind and courteous”, to “treat everyone with respect”, as well as to “make sure everyone feels safe” since “bullying of any kind isn’t tolerated”. However, some members express what may be perceived as going beyond fair criticism of students. Here are some of the worst things they’ve said.

“These are supposed to be intelligent young people.”

In response to a member saying that perhaps students were just unaware of the effects of their behaviour, another said: “They know, they just don’t give a stuff. You would have to be stupid not to realise that shouting in the street at night, playing music through the night, vomiting in back lanes and swearing your head off in back gardens when children are near may have an adverse effect on your neighbours and their children. These are supposed to be intelligent young people.”

“I couldn’t find my bat otherwise I would’ve come out swinging.”

Some in the group dislike students more than others, with multiple mentions of wishing to physically harm students. One member commented: “Swines. I couldn’t find my bat otherwise I would’ve come out swinging.” The same member also suggested that they, instead of keeping a diary of the noise, would give the students “a swing of my bat every 30 minutes”.

**“They’re blatantly stoned off their tiny t*ts”**

Though some expressed a wish to include more students in the group, since the group “really will be seen as student bashing if we don’t let them in to have a say”, there are many who just write students off as troublemakers, with one member saying: “They’re blatantly stoned off their tiny t*ts and have no clue what impact they’re causing.”

“I was kinda hoping that there’d be some crosshairs”

On another post, which was a video of students running from police breaking up a party, another member expressed a wish for students to be harmed, commenting: “I was kinda hoping that there’d be some crosshairs and some sort of ‘bang!’… (silenced of course)”, implying a desire for police to use firearms on students breaking lockdown rules.

“I’m not looking forward to the students returning next week”

Students returning in September was also a sore spot, with one user keen to clarify the cause for concern: “If people say, for example, ‘I’m not looking forward to the students returning next week’, they are referring to the people that film themselves puking, and expose themselves to women, all whilst kids are around”. The Newcastle Tab has not found any evidence to suggest that students are exposing themselves in front of children.

“Like a bunch of five-year-olds with no volume control”

On multiple posts, members questioned why students were making noise in their homes, with one member saying: “Why is it that students have to shout, giggle, scream etc. It’s like a bunch of five-year-olds with no volume control”. Another opined that: “Students are so inconsiderate, it sounds like tap-dancing hippos”, whilst one complained of students entering and departing their house “in and out the front door”.

“Their mental health is being compromised by their parents not allowing drug-taking”

Perhaps one of the worst things said in the group was part of a discussion around students being allowed to come back to uni for their mental health, with one member saying: “I heard that students can return if their mental health is being compromised by their parents not allowing parties, drug-taking and spewing up in the garden”.

“Tape a mosquito anti-loitering device to your ceiling”

The group also suggested giving us a taste of our own medicine, with proposals to “tape a mosquito anti-loitering device to your ceiling – you won’t hear it but it will drive them crazy” and purchasing a drum kit off of Castle Leazes Ticket Exchange.

“I’ve never felt intimidated during any interaction with the police”

The police presence in Jesmond since the summer has also been discussed in regard to students feeling intimidated and unjustly targeted, with members sharing their stories about encounters with the police. One questioned the legitimacy of students’ complaints, and proclaimed that they had “never felt intimidated during any interaction with the police throughout my entire life”, wondering “what these students are doing which is making the police respond in an ‘intimidating’ manner”.

“It could have been a heck of a lot worse had the author put work into it”

And last but not least, The Newcastle Tab cannot overlook the group’s response to a student journalist after an article was written on Operation Oak for JesmondLocal. The group gave feedback until the writer was “incredibly upset”, at which point they concluded that “the point has been made”.

The Newcastle Tab encourages students in residential areas to be respectful of their neighbours.

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