Responding to a recent poll from the Institute for Public Policy Research that found only 34 per cent of Britons would take action if they saw young people engaged in vandalism, Bishop Sainsbury said: "I'm very worried about the way young people are often demonised by the press, and even by government ministers. As Christians it's very important to spend time with young people and give this priority."
The interview comes in the same week a letter from Bishop Sainsbury has been printed in the New Statesman. Pointing to the value of investing in help for troubled young people, he writes: "We spend 98 per head per year on adolescent youth services, but it costs 25,000 to incarcerate each one convicted. Wouldn't it be better to put a fence at the top of the cliff rather than station an ambulance at the bottom?"
FACT OF THE WEEK ... SOMEWHERE TO GO IN LOCAL AREA Less than a third (32 per cent) of young people agreed with the statement: "There are places for young people to go in my area" 19% were not sure 49% disagreed Source: The Children's Society
