We are watching our headlines fill with stories of home invasions, carjackings, gang violence, and a level of disrespect towards police and authority from our youth that we never thought we would see.
And while many are quick to blame “bad kids” or demand more police, here is our honest, intergenerational, and culturally grounded take:
This is a parenting crisis, a community failure, and we are at a cultural crossroad.
The Ghetto Mentality Is Real
Let’s call it what it is. We are breeding a ghetto mentality.
Public housing zones are neglected.
Families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are dropped into communities without support or integration pathways.
And then we wonder why youth form cliques, join gangs, and stop caring about social norms.
The issue is that ethnic crime grabs the media attention more often than not.
If you constantly hear, “you’re not welcome here”, if your parents are struggling with English, if your teachers misunderstand your culture, and if the streets raise you – what do we expect?
This is not about race. This is about responsibility – collective, cultural, and structural.
From “Spare the Rod” to “Call the Police”.
Let’s talk parenting.
Many migrant parents come from cultures where discipline is synonymous with physical correction.
A whack from a slipper, a rap on the knuckles, a raised voice – that was normal.
But here in Australia, those same parents are now scared.
They fear their children will call Child Protection or threaten deportation.
But here is the real issue: nobody taught these families the alternatives.
We have taken away the rod, and we have not given them the replacement tools.
So now we have children raising themselves through TikTok algorithms and peer pressure.
Parents are confused, helpless and frustrated.
Teachers are overwhelmed and society is pointing fingers instead of asking deeper questions.
Cultural silence and shame
In many communities – especially South Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Pasifika – talking about parenting struggles is taboo.
You don’t admit your kid has a problem. You don’t ask for help. That is considered “shameful”.
But silence isn’t helping.
Shame is not a solution.
What we need is courage – to unlearn and relearn, and build new cultural blueprints for parenting and youth development in Australia.
The village is missing
Remember the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child”? We have lost that village.
How many people know their neighbours?
How many parents show up to school events and get involved with the wider school community?
How many community leaders are visible, accessible, or even trusted by youth?
We need to bring back village-thinking.
• Introduce your kids to your neighbours.
• Hold cultural parenting forums – in every language.
• Run local Cultural Intelligence (CQ)-based youth mentoring programs, not just more policing.
• Equip migrant parents with real tools: communication, boundaries, consequences, love.
When kids know they are seen by a whole community – not just one or two tired parents – they behave differently. They feel accountable.
Australia Needs a Cultural Reset
Let’s stop dancing around the real issue.
If we want to reduce youth crime, we need to:
• Stop racial stereotyping and tokenistic multiculturalism.
• Embed values-based education early – respect, resilience, responsibility.
• Train our teachers, the police, coaches and community workers in Cultural Intelligence.
• Fund parent education, not just punishment.
Our country is full of good people raising good kids. But without support, these kids are lost.
And when they fall, we all pay the price – economically, socially, and morally.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about belonging.
It’s time to bring the village back.
– What do you think? Let us know at dailyeditor@starnewsgroup.com.au
