The problems with todays city raves have little to do with the age of those attending, although it may initially seem like that…
Younger teenagers have always attended raves; as I did back in 1991…
Most young people who take the trouble and effort to attend a party which requires a bit of travelling to are usually close friends who do look after one another.
There is a problem with violence and theft at many city raves (and which is slowly creeping into raves outside London) and perhaps excessive drug use but thats a problem which has filtered in from wider society where people of all ages are feeling increasingly depressed and hopeless and lose respect for themselves and others.
If its hitting the youths harder its because life is harsher for them particularly in the inner cities.
I can see what spark is getting at because there are a lot of “Londonistan yout” choosing bad paths in life these days – but its also worth remembering the older people who don’t regulate themselves get onto crack and smack and drop out of raving (bascially their lives revolve around doing enough crime to pay for them to get high) so they aren’t seen as often at parties.
