... do not respect their elders.

Cambodia News (Phnom Penh): On June 30, 2021, at 7:40 am on the street to Chamkar Dong Agriculture School in Khvar village, Khan Dongkor, an elderly man riding an electric bicycle was hit by a young man who drove a Scoopy (plate Phnom Penh 1IM-9559).


According to local eyewitnesses, an elderly man was seen riding a battery bike along the concrete road of Chamkar Dong Agricultural School from east to west, when a hippie boy, riding a white MacSco motorcycle with license plate Phnom Penh 1lM-9559, came from behind at high speed and hit the old man's bicycle wheel, causing it to fall over. The young man helped lift the bike off the old man, but did not apologize, and continued forward on his motorbike about 50 meters, when he turned back and went to slap the elderly man with one hand, to the surprise of the nearby shopkeepers and passers-by.

The villagers helped the old man, and the police were called in after the altercation escalated, when both sides of the family came to join the argument. When the Dangkor police arrived at the scene, they also gave instructions to the teenager to educate him about his behavior, but the gangster* did not listen to the police and even argued that he was right.


The victim and his family forgave the young man after the offender's mother apologized to the old man on behalf of her son.

*gangster - expression often used by journalists to describe people, usually young men, behaving badly.

Cambodia News (Kandal Province): On the night of July 10, 2021, the Kien Svay district police detained 2 groups of teenage gangsters after they destroyed public and private property in the village and also caused a public disturbance.

After being taken to the police station, the teenage gangsters' parents were called, and they publicly apologized on behalf of their children. However, the suspects were kept in custody in order to be rehabilitated before being released into their parents' custody.

I'm sorry but I would never ever had put one of my parents in the position of publicly apologising on behalf of myself. I would say that is a total disgrace of a child's actions towards the parents and he/she needs to act on their own responsibilities and grow up.

AndyKK wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 9:23 pm I'm sorry but I would never ever had put one of my parents in the position of publicly apologising on behalf of myself. I would say that is a total disgrace of a child's actions towards the parents and he/she needs to act on their own responsibilities and grow up.

Agree, it sets a very poor example for the youngsters and tantamount to abrogation of their personal responsibility. Should make them do some community service work.

Yeah, the kid was out of line and any social graces have escaped him it seems, this is a worldwide problem but its poignant here when it strikes. I wonder if on some level it's a matter of the "sins of the father visiting twice upon the son" here? Where did the kid get this kind of training where he can slap up on an old man after hitting him with his moto?

bossho wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 10:39 pm Yeah, the kid was out of line and any social graces have escaped him it seems, this is a worldwide problem but its poignant here when it strikes. I wonder if on some level it's a matter of the "sins of the father visiting twice upon the son" here? Where did the kid get this kind of training where he can slap up on an old man after hitting him with his moto?

I have 2 barang friends who married Khmer women (not bargirls) and each had a child. Both had longterm relationships with the women before having a child. Now both of them have gotten a divorce for one specific reason only. Their wives absolutely refused in any way to discipline the children. This led to constant fighting with their wives over this issue and living in the same house as the wild child was unbearable. Common in Cambodia?

Discipline doesn't come in the two cases above, it's being taught right from wrong.
I was reading up on this issue - The fact that punishment doesn't actually teach kids right from wrong. In fact, many studies show that punishment just teaches kids not to get caught doing wrong.

cambo swa wrote: ↑Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:13 pm Their wives absolutely refused in any way to discipline the children. This led to constant fighting with their wives over this issue and living in the same house as the wild child was unbearable. Common in Cambodia?

John Bingham wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 12:39 am I don't think that is normal at all. Mothers are usually the disciplinarians in the family.

I was just writing the same thing.

I get why the author used the term "gangster," but I was surprised to also see the phrase, "hippie boy" in the first article.