Another report, Different World, launched last week by the City Parochial Foundation (see p11), compared "mandatory" youth projects, such as risk-awareness programmes, with those where attendance was voluntary. It found the former relied on shock tactics to engage the reluctant audience, a strategy that had short-term effects, while the latter was able to build a stronger relationship with the young people. It quotes a focus group participant as saying: "In schools work is not voluntary - and that is crucial. You can do a lot more with kids who have chosen to be there."
Youth work does have a place in schools, but if it is part of the curriculum, it is not youth work, no matter how wide a choice young people are given.
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