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Rising youth crime reflects wider societal problems

‘If tackling the root causes of knife crime remains the priority, it’s time to invest in community responses,’ writes Steve Phaure

The number of primary school children in pupil referral units (PRUs) in England has more than doubled since 2011, as part of a wider surge in the number of permanent exclusions in England and Wales over the past decade (Steep rise in under-11s excluded from school for being disruptive, 1 April). This is a symptom of wider societal problems; young people in disadvantaged areas, who are suffering as a result of cuts to their schools and youth services, understandably feel disillusioned and as though they’ve been abandoned. When disillusion occurs, crime, particularly youth crime, goes up.

Click below for the full article:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/apr/03/rising-youth-reflects-wider-societal-problems

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Meet generation Greta: young climate activists around the world

Young climate activists Amy (on left) and Ella Meek, litter-picking in fields in Nottinghamshire

They’re too young to vote, but schoolchildren across the globe are taking matters into their own hands

In May, for the second time this year, more than 1.5 million young people in more than 125 countries walked out of schools, colleges and universities in the biggest day of global climate action ever. Young people have protested en masse before – millions marched against the Iraq war in 2003 – but this child-led uprising is happening with unprecedented momentum on a global scale.

The urgency of their protests reflects the very narrow window of opportunity left to make positive change. We are already living outside the climate parameters that first gave rise to humans, and the world’s leading climate scientists agree that we have only 12 years to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C. Still, most governments are not doing enough to stay within these limits as set out by the United Nation’s 2015 Paris agreement.

The complexities of the climate crisis have become highly politicised, but young people are able to cut through the noise. As Jamie Clarke, executive director of Climate Outreach, explains: “Climate change is the most politically divisive issue in America, more so than gun control and abortion. But young people have the social freedom to say it like it is.”

UK Youth Climate Coalition’s Jake Woodier believes that climate strikes are reconfiguring the political sphere. “Children who historically don’t have a voice in politics are really thrusting their opinions into the public domain,” he says. “We are seeing thousands of incredibly intelligent and articulate children who are grasping the severity of the climate crisis better than adults in power.” Here, seven young people who are doing just that, explain where their passion comes from.

For the full article click the link below:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/28/generation-greta-young-climate-activists-around-world

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Enhancing young people’s employability via youth work

Commissioned by the European Youth Forum, and conducted by the University of Bath and GHK Consulting, the study on “the impact of non-formal education in youth organisations on young people’s employability” confirms the importance of the COMANITY project.

Non-formal education can be understood as “an organised educational process that takes place outside the mainstream systems of education and training, and does not typically lead to certification. Individuals participate on a voluntary basis and the individual is usually aware that (s)he is learning”.

Among the findings are:

  • Young people who report higher levels of involvement in the youth organisations’ activities (in terms of frequency and duration) also report higher levels of skills development;
  • Employers consider involvement with youth organisations as a positive experience, as they have implicit theories that associate certain experiences with certain skills sets;
  • Beyond Skills Development: involvement in youth organisations creates networks and connections for young people

The study also include a set of recommendations, notably to foster young people’s participation in youth organisations and better recognition of any learning that happens there.

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Effective Communication

Effective communication is important in any working situation, but it is crucial when working with marginalised groups. The following good features of effective communication and barriers to communication are by Habits for Wellbeing, whose full document is linked here: https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/9-effective-communication-skills/

Effective Communication Skills

Effective communication doesn’t happen overnight, it is a skill that has to be cultivated and nurtured. Below are some skills that can be practised to build on or develop your communication skills.

  1. Active Listening – some ways to actively listen include: listen twice as much as you speak, listen with your whole body, be alert and interested in the other person, refrain from interrupting and reflecting back what you have heard. Remember – “The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.” ~ Ralph Nichols.
  2. Non-Verbal Communication – we transmit information using words, gestures and body language, subsequently active listening also involves non-verbal communication. Sometimes you can be unaware of the messages you are sending none-verbally. Examples of non-verbal signals include tone of voice, eye contact, facial expressions, silence and hand, arm and leg postures. Are you aware of the signals your non-verbal communication could be sending?
  3. Asking Questions – when you are in conversation with someone, asking questions shows you are interested in them. There are many types of questions you can ask including – open (i.e. questions that start with What and How), closed (i.e. questions that start with Did, Do, Would, Will, Should, Could, Have, Must and Is), specific (e.g. questions that are specific can start with When, Where, Who, Which, How much, How many and How often) or visionary (e.g. what are your dreams).
  4. Being Clear and Succinct – when you are speaking, be clear, articulate and concise. Less is more when it comes to speaking and speak plain English.
  5. Clarifying and Summarising – to ensure you are hearing correctly you can reflect back to clarify what you have heard and summarise what you have heard from the other person. This shows you are listening to the other person and also checks you have the message correct that they are trying to get across.
  6. Being Empathetic – having empathy for another person is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Not sure what I am talking about – have a look at this beautiful clip called “If We Could See Inside Other People’s Hearts.”
  7. Providing Feedback – it doesn’t matter whether you are giving or receiving feedback, the feedback process is a vulnerable place to be. If you are providing feedback, you may like to use the Engaging Feedback checklist that was developed by Dr Brené Brown.
  8. Developing Trust and Rapport – what is trust for you?  How do you build trust with your friends, family and colleagues? Is it about doing what you say you are going to do and building relationships on honesty and integrity? How do you build trust in your relationships? As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated – “The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”
  9. Being Present – being present links to many of the above skills. Some of the words that relate to being present include being accepting of the other person you are communicating with, allowing life to be as it is, cultivating compassion and having a beginners mind. Thich Nhat Hanh so eloquently says – “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”

Five Barriers to Effective Communication

  1. Judging the other person. If you are judging a person whilst you are talking to them you could be criticising, diagnosing or calling them names. An example of criticising is saying “don’t you understand anything?”
  2. Not paying attention to the person you are talking to. Examples of this include – playing with your mobile phone or electronic device, not listening to the thoughts or feelings of the person you are speaking to, looking away when the other person is talking.
  3. Using technical language. Have you ever been at an event when people are using acronyms or language relevant only to their profession? If so, you know what I mean!
  4. Giving solutions or unwanted advice. I am not sure of many people who like to be told what to do! What about you?
  5. Avoiding the concerns of others. In a conversation that is avoiding the concerns of others, the listener don’t address the problem (i.e. the individual’s feelings and concerns are not taken in to account). This can be done in a variety of ways, including diverting the conversation, reassuring the person or discounting the, (i.e. yes, but…).

 

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More on building rapport, empathy and relationships with young people

 

A number of core skills and abilities are called for when working with young people especially those from vunerable and marginalised groups. These vary according to context , the issues and dynamics that prevail within any particular situation, and the power dynamics that inevitably play a part.

Key factors that are widely referenced include aspects of building rapport and trust, empathy and an ability to not only empathise, but indicate that, to those that we are working with – this may be no more than ‘active listening’, but may require considerably more. It needs to be remembered that empathy is not sympathy and that empathy is a choice.

Inevitably, this comes down to an understanding of relationships and the context in which these relationships occur. The quality of these relationships is a key concern.

Below are some links to material that may be helpful or thought provoking.

 

 

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The DS4Y – Digital skills for You(th) project

The European project “Digital Skills for You(th)” aims at developing and piloting a blended learning offer for professionals working with disadvantaged young people. The offer focuses on a strength-oriented approach for their young target group concerning digital opportunities and challenges regarding their personal and professional development and active participation in society.

The project partners have published a Report on the framework conditions for training offers in digital youth work (only in English).

The project is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission and is coordinated by the German Digital Opportunities Foundation with partners from the Czech Republic (NCBI) and Spain (Fundación ESPLAI). The duration of the project is from January 2017 till December 2018.

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Game: “The Matrix of (online) Risks and Threats”

Being aware of the many risks and threats of online use is an important aim of the COMANITY project. Because it seeks to reinforce young people’s capacity to detect those threats and to be more resilient, with this game below, youth workers and volunteers will have a practical tool to use to show young people how to be more careful online. What is best than a game to learn about it?

“The Matrix of Risks and Threats” is a game that aims to identify the risks and threats of online use. It is one of the resources promoted by the SocialWeb – SocialWork project.

Try the tool here: https://www.socialweb-socialwork.eu/content/modules/4_de/index.cfm/secid.22/secid2.41

The purpose of the SocialWeb – SocialWork project was to improve children’s online safety by availing the positive energy and influence of social work on vulnerable children and youths. Nowadays the Internet is no longer a mere tool for information search but rather the platform for social life and it is only logically consistent to involve the area of social work in strategies for a safer Internet for children and youths. The primary target group of the project were professionals working with children and youth at risk in various fields of activities. For young people who face a higher vulnerability due to social or educational disadvantages, having disabilities or other special needs, educational professionals in the broad field of social youth work often fill the role of a confidant. Therefore the project strategy of SocialWeb – SocialWork was built on the professionals’ detailed knowledge and acquaintance with situations of daily life and the needs of their young target group, and sensitively addressed their possible reluctance to digital media usage in social work.

During the project’s 24 months runtime, a training campaign was piloted in the participating partner countries and evaluated in regular cycles to measure the effects of such qualification for the improvement of Internet safety of vulnerable children and youths. The project resulted in a training programme consisting of both face-to-face and online learning units and an additional train-the-trainer strategy, thereof all elements have proven their transferability and scalability to other European countries and further groups of professionals working with children and youths at risk.

SocialWeb – SocialWork was a knowledge enhancement project in the Safer Internet Programme funded by the European Commission. The project consortium consisted of: Stiftung Digitale Chancen, Germany (project coordinator) Narodni centrum bezpecnejsiho internetu, Czech Republic Association Rural Internet Access Points (RIAP Association), Lithuania Nobody’s Children Foundation, Poland Fundación Esplai, Spain.

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Game: “My profile picture and me”

Online identity is an important topic for the COMANITY project. Youth workers and volunteers must know how to introduce this topic to young people to advice them on how they can have a better image of themselves on Internet. What is best than a game to learn about it?

“My profile picture and me” is a game to raise awareness about the messages conveyed by profile pictures online.

You’re also in a social network and have a profile picture there? If so, do you know what the picture tells about you? And what do you think about profile pictures of others? Do you believe that they always show exactly what the person in the picture wants to tell?

Try and find it out with this game: https://www.socialweb-socialwork.eu/content/modules/profilbilderspiel/