Street-based youth work lauded for tackling violence

The Touch Project by academics at Newman University College found that the “unpredictable nature of the street environment” allows outreach workers to capitalise on “spontaneous encounters” to constructively confront violent behaviour.?

But it warns that such workers need to be “embedded and visible in the community for several years before they become truly effective”, arguing that “funding and evaluation regimes should reflect this”.?

Mike Seal, head of youth and community studies at Newman University College, said more funding should be made available to secure permanent, long-term community-based youth work, as opposed to targeted “project-based” initiatives.

“Funding limitations mean that often youth workers have limited time and have to target certain things,” he said.?

Seal argued that trusting relationships must be established with young people in order to challenge violent behaviour effectively, which often takes some time.

He explained: “If you go straight in to talk about violence with young people they may not even be aware of the violence they’re engaged in and may be reluctant to talk about it.”

The study recommends that councils should use regular round-table discussions with street-based youth workers and young people to help address issues surrounding street violence.

Seal said regular discussions would improve relations between young people and local authorities, while encouraging discussion on the effectiveness of policy and how best to distribute funding.

He said: “Councillors and youth workers should be pushing for that debate to happen.”

He added that street-based youth workers need more access to formal specialist training, because their role requires them to be able to make more “in the moment” responses than club-based youth workers. ?Training should equip them to respond to threats or, in extreme cases, actual violence, he said.