Youth charities blast riots as disastrous for image of young people- 09 August 2011

Youth charities blast riots as disastrous for image of young people

By Janaki Mahadevan Tuesday, 09 August 2011

(I WILL PRAY AND WISH THAT PEACE MUST PREVAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.DESTRUCTION,RIOTING,VIOLENCE,KILLINGS,BURNING CAN NOT TAKE PEOPLE TO ANY CONCLUSION.IF THEY HAVE ANY KIND OF SUPRESSED ANGER,THEY SHOULD TALK,DEBATE...FIND PEACEFUL WAYOUT TO EXPRESS THEIR PROBLEMS,EMOTIONS,ANGER,DEMANS...AND FIND THE SOLUTION,INSTEAD OF WASTING NATIONAL PROPERTIES WITH ANGER AND DESTRUCTION AND KILLING PEOPLE!!...I HOPE THIS APPLIES TO OUR COUNTRYMEN ALSO WHO'RE ON STREET FOR PRESSURISING GOVERNMENT ON LOKPAL BILL,BLACK MONEY AND CORRUPTIONS...AND TRYING TO MAKE AAM JANTA ALSO HEARD!!!PLZ TRY TO BE AS PEACEFUL AS POSSIBLE!!!...VT)


Youth organisations have been quick to condemn the violence following another night of rioting in London and other cities in England, saying it is "bad news for youth".
Youth organisations have voiced fears that the destructive behaviour exhibited by a few will blight the reputation of all young people. Image: PA

Youth organisations have voiced fears that the destructive behaviour exhibited by a few will blight the reputation of all young people.
The British Youth Council has urged any young people involved to stop taking part in the violence and looting.

Liam Preston, BYC chair, said: "This behaviour flies in the face of all we are working for at BYC and the UK Youth Parliament and we unreservedly condemn it. We have been working for years to promote positive images of young people, valuing their views and contribution to society and this kind of news is bad news for youth."

He added that many of the victims of the criminal behaviour over the past three days have been young people.

"The vast majority of young people are law-abiding and have been making a real difference to their communities through volunteering and having their say. We know that there will come a time, after an investigation of the causes, to rebuild trust and relationships within communities, and we call on decision-makers and young representatives to show leadership and work together to address the issues when that process gets under way."

Asked if the cuts to local youth services and fewer youth workers have been a significant factor in the violence, the BYC said "it’s too early to say". However, the organisation added that "meaningful dialogue" with young leaders must form part of any review into the causes, taking into account the impact of cuts to youth services.

UK Youth also warned the media against starting a backlash against young people. "We really want to speak out against any knee-jerk reaction from the media against young people in general," a spokesman for the charity said. "The majority of young people are as concerned and troubled and inconvenienced by all this activity as anyone. Most young people are as disgusted by this as anyone else.

"We need to work out how much any of this has got to do with government cuts. It is absolutely never an excuse for this behaviour but it needs to be looked at."

Nick Wilkie, chief executive of London Youth, described the events across the capital as "disgraceful", but said the acts of violence were not one dimensional and many questions have to be answered about the causes.

"We do not believe closing youth clubs has caused this," he said. "Blaming events on cuts risks letting violent criminals off the hook. Equally, the fact that there are large numbers of unemployed young people with nothing to do this summer won’t help.

"Youth clubs all over London are staying open today, working hard with young people who are frightened and with young people who have a choice to make. Good youth workers have a critical role to play helping young people make the right choice tonight. We need to remember too that the vast majority of young people play an active and positive role in their communities.

"When order has been restored, all sections of society need to talk about how we support young people, especially in times of economic chaos. We know community-based youth work has a powerful role to play."

A spokesman for Family Lives also said families must be supported to communicate with teenagers, who they suspect of being involved in the violence, adding that the charity’s helpline was on hand to offer advice.

"Family Lives recognises that as violence and rioting spreads across the country many parents may be worried about their children getting caught up in or becoming an active participant in the violence," he said. "We know that all parents do not wish to see their children involved in criminal activities which could have a significant impact on their future, but we also know that it is often extremely hard to communicate with teenagers and young adults."