Youth workers in these areas say that the problems they encounter are often the same as those faced at a national level, only more acute. Bill Anderson, manager at The Prince's Trust in the Highlands and islands, says: "There really is nowhere to go. When young people reach 14 or 15, it becomes really hard. Youth work provides for the 11 to 18 age group, but if a centre is dominated by 12-year-olds, 18-year-olds really don't want to be there."
According to Anderson, youth work in this environment presents different challenges and opportunities. "Youth culture is manifested in different ways here," he says. "Young people in island communities seem much more comfortable talking to adults; in a big city it's easier to avoid contact with other age groups. In some ways, it's almost easier to reach young people through youth work, because you're not competing with all the attractions of a big city."
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