When boys are not youths

In recent days I have discussed the Newspaper English word "youth", showing that a youth can be 11 or 20 but is always up to no good.

In the first of those posts I made the observation:

There have always been double standards here - a 14-year-old offender is a "youth"; a 14-year-old victim is a "schoolboy".

The truth of this was pretty much borne out today by another Leicester Mercury story:

Two teenage boys were assaulted by a gang of youths in Abbey Park, Leicester.

The victims, both aged 14, were assaulted by the gang after the pair had refused to hand over their property. The victims received minor injuries.

The attackers made off empty-handed towards the fun fair and then possibly Abbey Park Road and Belgrave Road. They are described as black and Asian youths who were aged between 15 to 19.