FRG Youth

• The term 'hooligans' was applied by the media to youth gangs and anti-social and criminal behaviour. Journalist Albert Brusemann wrote that in 1954, over 500000 young people had come before the court, 25% of them under 14. He claimed crime in 1954 had overall increased 3.5% from the previous year, but among the 13-18 age group, it was up 13%. However, he also acknowledged that 80% offenders came from dysfunctional families.
• In November 1946, the German Youth Ring was created as an umbrella group for all youth organisations. It set up workshops to train leaders, produce resources and offer expertise in healthy activities such as singing, folk dancing and hikes - traditional German pastimes. They embraced organisations such as the Boy Scouts and religious youth groups. These groups had far more members that the hooligan gangs.
• Polls in 1968 among apprentices found the vast majority were well integrated into society and tended to hold the same values as their parents.
• Most youth rebellion was the same as other western countries - generational rebellion about the length of hair, style of clothes, choice of music etc, and was largely conducted inside the home rather than on the streets.