what is with this group attack mentality. A group V's one person makes all the members of the group cowards no heroes. Until the courts hand our sentences that deter these actions and parents teach kids what is right and wrong this will only get worse. I fear for our future. Some more police deterrent might also help....

Where the hell are the police? We need more police! A group of kids looking for trouble are pretty easy to spot. Forget water to the lake, the new civic hall region etc, if we don't stop this violence then noone will want to visit Ballarat anyway.

Some people think a good night out includes showing how tough they are by hurting someone. They are nothing but misfit thugs and need to be treated as such. When caught they will use the usual whimpy excuses to plead their case.

This has absolutely nothing to do with police or anything that authority nor funds can do. It is up to us as a societly to gradually grow out of the tuff mentaility we have grown up with. We have grown up with the heros in the younger generations life being those who faught in war or the like. Do people stop to think the message this is passing on. My generation i promise you think thanks to the older generation glorifying war heros think it is 'cool' to fight. Our violence comes from your ignorance. As the saying goes monkey see monkey do. We see the war heros on T.V why would we not want to be our own soldiers. Soldiers of Ballarat. The older generation have promoted the war hero message. You have encourage the violence now it is us who has to suffer and us who have to carry knives to protect oneselves. What a generation.

I'm with you KD. Believe me, I know a lot of people that go to Bacchus Marsh to do their shopping rather than Ballarat because of the violence and parking problems. Mine are one of three families from Ballan that I know of that were going to move to Ballarat, guess what? Not anymore!

Hey "ignorant". I don't know what you are on but if I was you I would seek help. Ask any Soldier, the last thing they want to do is go onto a two way rifle range. I think you have got video games mixed up with real life. If you think you have the answer to world peace why not head off and and ask the Taliban and others to please behave so we can all live in peace. Military traing is based on Discipline not thugish behaviour. If you are the type of person who complains about wars and the people who have been killed by Australians overseas in the last ten years or so. Sit down and add up all the people killed on Australian roads, Murdered, Bashed, and have been attacked for no apparent reason other than trying to have a good night out over the same 10 years. Once you have calculated all that I think you will see it would be a lot safer overseas in a war zone than going to a nightclub in Australia.

Mmm. Have been considering a move from Melb to Ballarat. Is this type of behaviour common in the town?

Ignorant.....HOW DARE YOU BLAME THE OLDER GENERATION FOR THE VIOLENT YOUTH OF TODAY!!! You certainly live up to your name DON'T YOU? Here's another thing...If it wasn't for the older generation, YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE!....IDIOT!

Hit the nail on the head sjc the reason why they do it is because they are dirt bags that a misfits with no regard and need to be put in a cage with all the other dirt bags in the state.

Linda from Ballan - I think you will find older generations are the one who taught the younger generations. So, can't wipe all the blame away. But saying that the stroy about soldiers is seriously reaching.