We pride ourselves on extending young people through youth work, shifting them from comfort to "stretch" zones through the provision of new experiences, possibilities and perspectives. That is absolutely fine, but it is also important to recall, and perhaps re-emphasise, how youth work and youth workers can also provide safety and a haven for some young people. The last thing those young people want, at least at first, is further stretching. What they want is an escape – from stressful home environments, from the pressures of education or from experiences of bullying.
Youth work spaces offer both respite from such stress and the possibility to take stock and consider ways of resolving or addressing it. Youth workers can provide dispassionate and non-judgmental advice and support, or advocacy on a young person's behalf.
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