After spending two years working as a youth worker on a high-crime, inner-city estate. Then the next three years working with 16-19 year olds in further education I feel that, although I am no expert, I have some gravitas and cultural understanding when talking about the issues affecting young people today.
In the clear light of day, it is morally wrong for politicians, the police or members of the public to make quick judgement on what happened last week. The situation we find ourselves cannot be ring-fenced by this idea that quick arrests, tough sentencing and the exemption from welfare benefits is the ultimate solution where, as soon as you introduce said measures the apathetic and disenfranchised will fall in line. The root problems of last weeks turmoil have been growing organically for a generation, the remedies, alas, cannot be found in a week.
It is easy, as some people inevitibly will, place the blame for these riots squarely on the shoulders of parents, or maybe even successive government's laissez-faire approach to school discipline and although these are mitigating probems, they are not unilateral problems. In truth we are all at fault. The reasons as to why thousands of people chose to loot and riot stems equally from our own beligerance as it does any criminality from so-called 'gang-culture'. The riots that struck last week are just a small reminder of what is at stake here. By trying to solve the reason's why we must first look at ourselves and our place in society. In short it is not so much one or two small problems that need fine-tuning such as arrests or taking away the benefits of looters but a complete cultural shift within society.
The young people who rioted last week, and this must be stressed with vigour, do not represent the entirity of young people today. It is all too easy though, even among politicians in the aftermath late last week, to once again tread the careful line of political correctness by stating that the vast majority of young people are respectful and upstanding pillars of community. Arguably, this isn't the case. Yes, most young people would never even think about looting, vandalising or rioting to the extent of some young people last week but we cannot be naive into thinking that young people are otherwise respectful of authority and rules or,more importantly, are they grateful to the opportunities given to them. The issue here, and this isn't just entrenched into the younger elements of society, is that we have lost touch with what we have to be thankful for. Respect, hope and promise are feelings that citizens have when they understand the definition of society, not just the parts that come free with it.
In my work, two things became abundantly clear over the past five years. One, for all the exclamations that violent video games and gangsta rap do not have anything to do with the current social problems, I completely disagree. Although, the youth 'rising up' against the establishment is nothing new, it seems to have taken on a much more toxic context over the past few years. Watching young people, some as young as 10, imitate the language and mannerisms of a pimp, drug dealer or thief is sickening. Teenagers in hoods, carying knives, stood with their hands down their pants, intimidating their community, this isn't how it was supposed to be. This isn't middle-England's attack on rap music, this is looking on in horror as a whole generation get seduced by the 'get rich or die tryin' attitude which seems to have enveloped the nation. This isn't the veneration of a whole genre of music, more the irresponsibility of the majority to not acknowledge that this is one of the root causes of the problem.
Secondly, we have been made to believe that even in less economically challenging times certain pockets of society have been offered nothing or to a lesser extent are not being listened to. Again, and this is ofcourse all relative, young people in this country, compared to similar developed nations across Europe, are offered more activities, more qualifications, better standards of youth services and sports organisations than any other. For thirteen years of a Labour government the answer was to throw money at trying to halt the rising tied of youth offending and although some success has been made in areas, it cannot be backed up by a resonated change in attitude. Organisations often proudly showcase their statistics but it is these very statistics, so often lauded by government, that undermine the very purpose of these youth services. In essence, young people, even in these frought economic times, have opportunities to better themselves, whether it be through education, community-driven projects or merely hobbies and interests. Unfortunately, these things go against the grain of the culture they aspire to, to better themselves, to better their communities or simply to earn their living through hard-work.
Doom mongering is not the aim here but the past week has to be seen as a marker in evolution in society that we so desperately crave. We have to teach not only our young people but also ourselves that what we aspire to cannot be consistently handed on a plate. That by doing somnething positive in your community will not only benefit your neighbours but will go a long way to halt the rising tide of alienation that they feel from the rest of the society. If young people want a stake in society, it is theirs for the taking, but they must earn that right.
