Both KIDS' male and female protagonists are confined to limiting gender roles. The horror of their mischief, which includes excessive violence, thievery, and rape, is neutralized by their implied normalcy. Either way they get screwed. At the supposed climax of the film, she victimizes herself by accepting her fate through her refusal to speak up. On the flip side are Joy and Kim, lipstick lesbians who are shown as easily manipulatable sex objects.
Racist classification is typical as well.
Can't you understand English. Within these half truths are the exaggerations of the violent temperaments of these youths, where beating a man, perhaps to death, is normal and done without any sign of remorse. The one-dimensionality of the characters in KIDS helps to perpetuate racist and sexist stereotypes. Even worse, the media uses KIDS as a model for my generation, branding us ignorant juveniles. In the past there have been other films depicting the coming of age experience but none of them have been as exploited and sensationalized by the media like KIDS has.