Here's Rowenna Davis in today's Guardian -
'For many young people, simply raising their heads in the community is grounds for a thwack. In the last year we have seen a wave of policies penalising young people before they've committed an offence. Mosquitoes [sound-emitting surveillance devices] are punishing young people simply for "hanging around" public spaces. Blanket curfews are being imposed for youths on estates in Cornwall. Stop and search policies are on the increase, and they've even started in schools.'
I link back to last week's 'news' that there are more ASBOs issued in places where fewer youth clubs exist, covered here by the Guardian.
(I have to break off to make the point that if you ever want to know how the internet will come to a halt, this will be a good example: the research on which this news was based is variously described as being the joint responsibility of Clubs for Young People, UK Youth, and the Social and Spatial Inequalities Research Group at Sheffield University. Not one of these agencies appears to refer to the research on their sites. No press release could I find this evening, one week on, nothing. The SASI site is frankly an embarassment, look away now, please, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have given you the link. But hey, what's a little national publicity for your organisation these days, just cos people might want to know more?)
The research is welcome and we need to be able to point to it. But I ask meself why it still requires the efforts of these three agencies (if there's truth in the rumour of their involvement) to make this feebly obvious point about provision for young people? Simon Antrobus, into whose blog I occasionally dip, and I hope it resumes soon, says here that
'it's important that we lead a discussion on what turns a community facility into a world class provision where young people can have fun, learn and grow as individuals.'
Discussion, good. Provision, even better. I'm not too bothered about 'world class provision', that's just Blair-talk.
But where in all this is our esteemed government, whose minister spoke thirteen months ago about 'plans for a good youth centre in every neighbourhood'? Leading the applause and chipping in with some funding? Well, according to Children and young people now, the project for youth centres is being championed by someone called David Blunkett MP. The name has a familiar ring. Could that possibly be the same David Blunkett who was the godfather of the ASBO? Prime the mosquitos.
Previously: Youth centres: are we allowed to ask questions?
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