But ask if anyone fancies playing a game, and young people are likely to be much more enthusiastic. Get teams throwing dice, moving pieces around a board, answering questions on the way, and the same young people may well turn talkative, even argumentative.
A question like, "when a woman says no to sex, does she always really mean no?" may trigger a lively, even heated, half-hour discussion. Bingo.
"Issues around masculinity", ranging from experiences of violence to attitudes to alcohol, are being aired openly and sometimes passionately.
Mat Crozier, a youth worker with YouthAction Northern Ireland, has a sheaf of evaluation comments from young people who played something called the Violence Game. "I felt I could talk about things I don't normally talk about... and it's quite revealing," says one young man.
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