@CouchNish Completely different environment. Parents work longer hours in the UK and have no or little disposable income, which is needed in order to provide the means to keep children from hanging around in groups. Will will end up with other probably far worse issues which were declining.
@realBenBloch It's not just about contact with friends. Substance abuse was worse in the past. You're only going to swap one problem for another. Parents today also work longer hours without the disposable income which provides kids with the ability to avoid these problems.
@chriswardmp How will you offset the impact of children hanging around who are bored? Levels of drug-taking and alcohol abuse have significantly declined over the years. Children today are more likely to invest in a future that they feel a part of, not cut off from.