Centrepoint Kids
Encyclopedia
'Centrepoint Kids' is a term used to describe the social phenomenon of groups of youths who used to hang out at shopping complexes in Singapore
during the mid 1980s. This term came about after the demolition of the old Cold Storage building and the construction of the new Centrepoint in 1982-1983, after which, a growing number of teenagers went there to "hang out". Seen as public nuisance, they were labelled the "Centrepoint Kids".
In a survey done in December 1985 by a group of volunteers headed by Mr. Lam, a Police Officer with the Singapore Police Force, the youngest Centrepoint Kid interviewed was 10 years old and the oldest 23.
They are easily identified by their outlandish outfits and avant-garde hairdos. While some of the youths had been found committing crimes such as smoking, glue-sniffing, fighting and shoplifting, most were there just to make friends. However, shopkeepers complained that these youths were blocking passageways at shopping centres and frightening away potential customers.
Mr Lam, set up an Organisation to cater to the need of the so-called " CentrePoint Kids " and resign from the Police Force to concentrate on his efforts of nurturing these kids into socially-responsible citizens. Mr.Lam managed this social phenomenon with a team of volunteers and his success story of turning these wayward youths into useful citizens of the Society was highlighted in the AsiaWeek, an regional magazine in Asia published in Hong Kong.
To educate students about social responsibility, which pointed out the dangers of joining the Centrepoint Kids, Mr.Lam visited more than 100 schools to talk about the danger of falling into "street gangs". Some school principals had even issued orders forbidding students from forming or joining such groups.
Mr.Lam's passion in helping these " Centrepoint Kids " was noticed by the Commissioner of Police in Singapore and the Police Commissioner nominated him for the " Outstanding Young Persons of the Year Award ".
By 1986, Some of these kids were studied sociologically with a focus on their personal and family backgrounds. Other similar moral panics that have appeared in the Singapore media includes the McDonald Kids (early 1980s), the Marina Square
kids (early 1990s), the Far East Plaza Kids (1980-3 and re-lapse again in mid 1990s) and Daimaru Kids (1983-6).
Most kids started off from Far East in the early 80s and then move on to Centrepoint when the building was completed. That is why Centrepoint Kids had a strong inter-structure with Far East. Centrepoint kids are by far the biggest and during it peak period, members number reach above 2000 members (checked through sub-grouping). Within CP kids (in short), social structure is a new ball game and therefore multiple crashes amount groups became prominent to the public.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
during the mid 1980s. This term came about after the demolition of the old Cold Storage building and the construction of the new Centrepoint in 1982-1983, after which, a growing number of teenagers went there to "hang out". Seen as public nuisance, they were labelled the "Centrepoint Kids".
In a survey done in December 1985 by a group of volunteers headed by Mr. Lam, a Police Officer with the Singapore Police Force, the youngest Centrepoint Kid interviewed was 10 years old and the oldest 23.
They are easily identified by their outlandish outfits and avant-garde hairdos. While some of the youths had been found committing crimes such as smoking, glue-sniffing, fighting and shoplifting, most were there just to make friends. However, shopkeepers complained that these youths were blocking passageways at shopping centres and frightening away potential customers.
Mr Lam, set up an Organisation to cater to the need of the so-called " CentrePoint Kids " and resign from the Police Force to concentrate on his efforts of nurturing these kids into socially-responsible citizens. Mr.Lam managed this social phenomenon with a team of volunteers and his success story of turning these wayward youths into useful citizens of the Society was highlighted in the AsiaWeek, an regional magazine in Asia published in Hong Kong.
To educate students about social responsibility, which pointed out the dangers of joining the Centrepoint Kids, Mr.Lam visited more than 100 schools to talk about the danger of falling into "street gangs". Some school principals had even issued orders forbidding students from forming or joining such groups.
Mr.Lam's passion in helping these " Centrepoint Kids " was noticed by the Commissioner of Police in Singapore and the Police Commissioner nominated him for the " Outstanding Young Persons of the Year Award ".
By 1986, Some of these kids were studied sociologically with a focus on their personal and family backgrounds. Other similar moral panics that have appeared in the Singapore media includes the McDonald Kids (early 1980s), the Marina Square
Marina Square
Marina Square is a shopping mall in Singapore which opened in the late 1980s. It is part of the first building complex built on the reclaimed land at Marina Centre, and was the largest shopping mall in the country at the time...
kids (early 1990s), the Far East Plaza Kids (1980-3 and re-lapse again in mid 1990s) and Daimaru Kids (1983-6).
Most kids started off from Far East in the early 80s and then move on to Centrepoint when the building was completed. That is why Centrepoint Kids had a strong inter-structure with Far East. Centrepoint kids are by far the biggest and during it peak period, members number reach above 2000 members (checked through sub-grouping). Within CP kids (in short), social structure is a new ball game and therefore multiple crashes amount groups became prominent to the public.