The Big Issue

  • Interview about Yob Nation

    Why was it important for you to write Yob Nation? I was attacked by a gang on a bus and this, together with my experiences as a teacher in various comprehensives, made me want to know the causes of gratuitous, pointless, petty violence and whether it was a growing problem or not. Do you see…

  • Rewarding the bad, punishing the good

    ‘Oi, you little c**t, why can’t you hurry up you slow coach?’ I heard a mother say to her son last week outside a swimming pool changing rooms. An eight-year-old boy was doing his best to stuff his wet towel into his bag but it wasn’t fast enough. A little later, he started banging a…