A statement from The National Youth Agency said there is significant evidence that youth work, with its focus on fostering the personal and social development of young people, supports young people away from antisocial behaviour and towards becoming responsible citizens. The agency strongly supported the committee's call for further funding to build upon successes.
But the Agency also said that it was concerned that the right balance has not been struck between enforcement and support, and that it opposed the blanket use of dispersal powers for groups of young people who are just hanging around. "There is a distinction between criminal activity, nuisance behaviour and the presence of young people on the streets," said the statement.
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