Poverty central to the summer riots, young people claim
Neil Puffett
Monday, December 19, 2011
Young people believe that poverty was one of the key reasons behind the August riots, a survey by The Children's Society has found.
The charity surveyed 1,004 adults and 1,077 13-to 17-year-olds between 3 October and 10 November.
Behind the Riots found that most 13-to 17-year-olds and adults believed the main reasons behind the disturbances was "to get goods and possessions they couldn’t afford to buy".
Both young people and adults surveyed felt children and young people would be viewed more negatively following the riots. And the majority of adults and children (51 per cent and 56 per cent respectively) believe the government should be doing more to support young people following the riots.
One in seven children and young people thought they had fewer prospects for their immediate future following the riots and 17-year-olds were most likely to cite government cuts as a reason for the riots.
The Children’s Society’s policy director Enver Solomon said most people believe that the riots were caused by a whole range of factors, with poverty and material disadvantage at the heart of it.
"Material well-being cannot be overlooked as a significant issue affecting young people today," he said. "We know from our work that there is a significant link between a child’s material deprivation and their overall life satisfaction.
"Clearly, tackling this is crucial to avoid further unrest among children and young people. It is equally worrying to see just how many children and young people, already battling very negative views of themselves as a group, felt perceptions of them had got worse since the riots.
"Our findings show that there is agreement between adults and children that the government should be providing more support to young people. This sends a clear message to central and local government that the public would like to see more positive activities on offer to children rather than a reduction in out-of- school youth provision."
The survey results have been published as further concerns have been raised about the government response to the riots. The Home Affairs Select Committee said the police response to the riots was flawed and speaking to The Times newspaper, former US police chief Bill Bratton, who advised the government on gangs in the wake of the riots, said the gangs strategy is flawed because it fails to properly define what a gang is.