Young People's Experience of Intolerance, Antisocial Behaviour and Keeping Safe in Disadvantaged Areas of Glasgow

Neary, J. and Egan, M. (2011) Young People's Experience of Intolerance, Antisocial Behaviour and Keeping Safe in Disadvantaged Areas of Glasgow. Project Report. GoWell, Glasgow.

Abstract

The view that intolerance towards young people is rife in the UK has been widely advanced. UK surveys show that a substantial minority of adults describe teenagers as a serious problem in their local area.1,2 The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recently singled out the UK for its ‘general climate of intolerance and negative public attitudes towards children, especially adolescents’. 3 In this paper, we explore young people’s own perspectives on intolerance and antisocial behaviour (ASB) using interviews and focus groups involving young residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Glasgow.<p></p> We found evidence that young people believed they were the object of conscious and unconscious stereotyping by adults. In addition, young people held negative perceptions of other young people in their neighbourhood and used similar stereotypes to the adults in the neighbourhood. We also found evidence of young people experiencing ASB and taking steps to secure their own safety within the neighbourhood. We conclude that while young people may be the object of adult intolerance, they are also actively developing their own social attitudes about their peers and community that at times appear unsafe to them.<p></p> Therefore, policy and practice in this area need to reflect two broad interpretations of young people’s ASB: one that emphasises the involvement of young people in such behaviour and another that focuses on negative attitudes towards young people.<p></p>

• Item Type: Research Reports or Papers (Project Report)
• Additional Information: GoWell Briefing Paper 16
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Egan, Dr Matthew and Neary, Dr Joanne
• Authors: Neary, J., and Egan, M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Public Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
• Publisher: GoWell
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2011 GoWell
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher