Opinion

'Moment of madness' is in danger of recurring

1 min read Youth Justice Youth Work
Basing policy on evidence seems straightforward. But we continue to see politicians speak out on issues with the scantest of evidence and with particular audiences in mind. The most extreme example of late was the coverage about gangs after the summer unrest.

The Cabinet Office commissioned research among young people and, to its credit, published it as soon as possible. It’s worth reading, alongside the Ministry of Justice statistical analysis of arrests and court hearings. The interview research concluded that, for many, the crime was opportunistic and a "moment of madness". Organised gang activity was only a minor feature.

Nevertheless, young people involved in the unrest showed poor attitudes to family and community. The broadcast media played a part in seeming to show people "getting away with it", with social media enabling people to egg each other on. And both the research and the statistics reveal poverty as a strong common feature. Can we really be surprised about any of that?

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