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Let young people tell their story, good or bad. They need to be listened to. They need to be understood. “ – (Emma McGuiness, University of Ulster, and speaker at R.I.O.T event)
Reparation in Our Town (R.I.O.T) was an event held by the Youth Justice Agency and demonstrated how young people involved in offending can develop positive links within their own community and give something back by way of reparation. One of these links is with Headliners Foyle.
Headliners young people interviewed adults about the treatment of young people in the media and asked them what they can do as an organisation to stop young people going in the wrong direction in life. Everyone at the event agreed that young people get a bad press, both locally and nationally. Whether those interviewed were; victims of youth crime, family members, local community and business representatives or voluntary and statutory agencies all were aware that the young person’s voice is often missing from the negative stories about them. It is common knowledge also that the minority of young people who engage in anti-social behaviour and yet they are often the ones who make the headlines.
They are labelled louts, hoodies, yobs and troublemakers and as a result of this all young people get a bad name. Rarely does a reporter try to find out why that young person engaged in anti-social behaviour and seldom do you read a follow-up in the local media about how young offenders have turned their lives around.
Following is what some people attending the event said to Headliner Foyle reporters:
Michael Doherty, Director of the Peace and Reconciliation Group in Derry said: “It’s a very small minority of young people who are taking part in this anti-social behaviour but unfortunately it seems to be that type of behaviour that get the most press and other young people are doing great work around this city (Derry/Londonderry) and are building great relationships and don’t get involved in any of this. They just don’t get talked about because it doesn’t make news.”
Advocating Headliners work Mr Doherty added: “The press is creating the image, image creates industry for our tourism and if a bad image is going out there then we’ll not attract tourists. So anything that Headliners can do to tackle the negative impact on our young people has to be welcomed with open arms.” Chris Radcliffe stressed: “Every time you see a news story on TV it’s never positive about young people. It’s about time this changed. Unless we publicise the good deeds instead of coming down with a hammer on all the bad ones then they will never have any aspirations or dreams of what they would like to do. Making young people feel that they are very much part of a community can steer them away from crime.”
Emma McGuinness, University of Ulster highlighted: “One commentator I heard spoke of an arms race against young people. They were referring to the process whereby different policies are just thrown at young people to look to be punitive but all it does is paint young people in a bad light which ignores the creativity, energy and diversity of so many of our youth.”
Emma had this advice for Headliners: “Let young people tell their story. I think it’s it important that young people are listened to and are not shamed about their experience. They need to be understood. I think that young people who have made mistakes should be allowed to repair and reintegrate. I think Headliners should tell the realistic story of young people because it’s not just good or bad. It’s not black or white, it is all grey. The issues that affect young people are really complicated and people need to listen to them.”
Colleen Heaney, Assistant Director of Youth Justice Agency blamed the press for making society nervous of young people: “Headliners should promote in their magazine and radio packages that if you have issues it’s ok to talk to people about them and it’s ok to stand up to your friends if you don’t agree with what they are doing.”
Some people we spoke to were hopeful. Heather Sproule, Youth Conference Coordinator, Youth Justice Agency stressed: “I think through youth conferencing and reparation that young people will get some positive press.” Heather is, however,all too aware of the effect of negative press: “I think if young people feel as if they are labelled as bad or anti-social sometimes they think it is too hard to change so why bother. Maybe if Headliners is being very pro-social then maybe they can work with some of the young people that want to go along that way and show them a better way.”
Peter Quinn, Local Community Services Manager with Youth Justice Agency also appealed to Headliners to do what they can to dispel the media myths of the negative behaviour of young people. He added: “It's a matter for Headliners to talk to young people and find out what their major concerns are and then work with them to find out how that could be redressed through generating positive media coverage.”
As well as doing interviews at events like R.I.O.T Headliners Foyle has engaged in outreach projects with many young people to develop practical skills in radio and photography, improved communication and critical thinking skills; improve confidence and develope self-awareness by giving them a voice on issues raised through the project and the ability to make better choices in their lives.
To date Headliners have worked with the Youth Justice Agency through Youth First, a group of young boys from the Bogside. These boys ranged from 12 – 15 years old and worked on radio packages which touched on the anti-social and sectarian behaviour that goes on in their community and how to engage young people in other activities to divert them from this type of lifestyle. In one radio package the boys were promoting their idea Feile event in the Bogside which they hoped would keep the younger children out of trouble during the 12th July celebrations and stop them wanting to go and build bonfires or cause trouble at the Fountain interface.
All the boys are very keen to work with Headliners on projects in the future. Cian (11) hoped that they could do a film. He said “You could make films about riotous behaviour and show what boys that get caught have to go through in the barracks and how their life will be. Say they are 20 and all their friends are going away to a stag weekend or to America on holiday they just have to sit there in jail by themselves not really going anywhere. Then other boys that have been rioting in the community have to live with the cops coming to their door all the time.”
Conor (13) added: “I think if you showed other young people the radio packages we did they might think they would like to do something like that and say they were asked to go and get drunk at say five o’clock they might think Headliners is far better and go and do that instead.”
Headliners continues to engage with the Youth Justice Agency to give young people a real voice on issues that affect them and to challenge the negative press surrounding them.
About this story
This article was written by Amy Coyle (18) and Aine Cronin-McCartney (18)
This story appeared in the Youth Justice Agency's magazine in 2011.
