Comments on: Young people as victims or perpetrators

By: Alan Stevenson

Alan Stevenson — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:23:30 +0000

The stereotyping of the new generation in the corporate media, and the way society soaks up the stereotypes like a sponge, is extremely worrying. Its getting so hysterical that I’m starting to seriously fear the possibility of a “Battle Royale scenario”, in which the youth population is regularly “culled” by the government, with the blessing of a significant portion of the older generations, in order to keep it under control >.

By: Francis xavier

Francis xavier — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:13:13 +0000

the article was very nice. i want to know some of your articles and your opinions about the present social issues which will help me to do my doctorate on dalit youth.

By: WendyG

WendyG — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:23:17 +0000

I am concerned that we have a generation of children and young people that are affectively “unwanted” by their parents. They do not appear to be welcome in their own homes and choose to spend their time on the streets, hanging around shopping areas or parks. My own children were always encouraged to have friends around, were able to meet with three or four in their own bedrooms and were therefore safe and more importantly welcomed. This seems to still be the ‘norm’ within middle class families but the experience for many of our ‘working class’ children is different. I see children as young as 5 living close to my own home, still out in the streets after dark, where are their parents and why are they unconcerned about the welfare of their children. Is it true that they simply “cannot be bothered” after a long day at work? I have heard this said, is it true? The other gap between those adopting a middle class upbringing for their children (and this includes many working class parents) and those who appear to adopt a less traditional approach – that of engagement in after schools activities. How many of the kids walking the streets and causing problems in wider society have had access to the Scouts, Guides, football, dancing, music etc? We could encourage parents to give their children these opportunities by subsidising fees and uniforms, or just by making them more atractive to every child and not just to some.

By: ann

ann — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:00:12 +0000

I had a bad upbringing.Abuse from the age of five in a Childrens Home that people today know about. Me I had all the problems relateing to this abuse.I didnt tearn out bad I help others I servive I get on with my life. I dont blame any one now. Any how who gives a XXXXXXX. ANN.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:34:36 +0000

I’ve just left school recently So I belive this gives me more right to talk aboutcurrent state of todays youth culture than most people. Young people as a majority are victimised by a select minority who all drink buckfast. This might sound rediculous but If you look at the vast majority of violent crime committed by young people you will se that buckfast is involved somewhere down the line. BAN BUCKFAST!!! and the violent minority will subside.

By: What are today’s social evils? « Chris Kidd - applied youth ministry

What are today’s social evils? « Chris Kidd - applied youth ministry — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:12:54 +0000

[...] are today’s social evils? Posted on May 19, 2008 by Chris Check out this from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (Thanks [...]

By: Diane Fisher

Diane Fisher — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:14:25 +0000

If we look at society today and how it is being shaped and really think back around 10years ago and before. The shaping of society has always been governed by the MEDIA. If the media reports anything negative, then there are people out there gullable enough to believe and say ‘well if the media are reporting this it must be true’? I have questioned this for years and my view is still the same. The media run this country, even down to the elections. How the media reports and portrays their perception of incidents and issues is probably quite far from the truth. After all they want to sell papers!!! and make money!!!! Just watch and listen when anything is being reported and question it? Did it really happen this way?

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:18:41 +0000

Where do children learn?

From their parents, siblings and friends, and in doing so, have a choice to make, but for some children, the pressures can be overwhelming and drag them into a spiral of bad behaviours, gang culture and crime before they fully understand why they did what they did.

By then, its often too late and they continue to behave in the same way for the rest of their life, but are not happy in doing so.

How to tackle that? Start be treating them like young adults,from the outset, and by that I mean whilst at school, and tackle the real issues behind their behaviours, such as neglect, abuse, drug use, etc but remember they dont know it all, and just as we did, they need to learn, not be lectured at.

Listening to the children allows you to hear whats being said, and in most cases, what is not being said.

It feels like we have forgotten how painful and confusing teenage years were and how we ourselves struggled to find our way through the tangle of becoming an adult, and taking on adult responsibilities!

Then and only then do we stand a chance of hearing them, and understanding why they do what they do, and far more importantly, stop doing it and leave the gang culture behind.

By: Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:40:59 +0000

Young people are the victims of some shocking inequalities and unfairness, so it’s hardly surprising that some of them become disenchanted enough to become perpetrators.

Two examples illustrate some of the barriers to justice:
1) A young woman and her friend were outside Leeds railway station station in broad daylight on a busy August day. She was assaulted by a drunken male who pulled off her hijab. Yet no-one was even charged because there was “not enough evidence”.
2) The Youth Opportunity Fund was introduced by the Government to enable disadvantaged young people to have things to do and places to go. A bid by young people from 3 inner-Bradford schools, which would have benefited several thousand young people from BME backgrounds or with special needs or who are deaf was rejected ; yet in the first year only 1200 Bradford young people benefited whilst Bradford Youth Service acquired over a third of the fund to refurbish two of its buildings !!

There is a pressing need for a Young People’s racial justice project in West Yorkshire to eliminate corruption and equalise opportunities.

By: Aphra Tulip

Aphra Tulip — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:05:14 +0000

I myself am a young person, and yet sometimes when i see a gang of youths, i want to turn the other way, because i fear from past experiances that they will target me. Which admittedly isn’t always the case.
I volunteer at a Brownie unit as a young leader, i spent every summer doing volunteer work such as renovating old schools etc, i help at an old folk’s home and yet i often find myself being demonised by strangers. There has been a few cases where i have picked up someones bag that they dropped, i go to return it and people are threatened or confuse me for stealing it. I think a media campaign is needed for such cases to rid some of the prejudice of both the old and the young.