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Is there a 'hardening of attitudes' to children and young people today?
For many of today's teenagers, the hoodie may have become the uniform of choice but it's also viewed by some as a symbol of social disorder. The sight of a group of youths wearing hooded tops on a street corner can be intimidating - but are they a threat or do they just not have anywhere else to go?
Last updated: 31 March 2009
In a joint report in 2008, the UK's Children Commissioners warned that attitudes towards youngsters were hardening. A few months later, the United Nations UK Committee on the Convention of the Rights of the Child expressed concern at the general climate of intolerance and negative public attitudes towards children, especially adolescents, which appears to exist in Britain.
The Prince's Trust has also launched a campaign to tackle negative perceptions about young people. In November 2008, it claimed that three out of five press stories about teenagers were negative - but pointed out that young people were more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators.
Some of these questions were raised during a television debate hosted by Fiona Phillips and Betsan Powys as part of a BBC Wales season on childhood during March 2009. Hannah Smith from Llanelli got in touch after watching the programme to make these comments:
"I think that the fact that teenagers are being misjudged can sometimes be true, teenagers these days have nothing to do in society. We're known as 'thugs' or 'yobs' which is an insult to teens. We get influenced by adults and role models which we see in the papers or magazines being drunk at parties or totally addicted and high... I think that the media, instead of judging teens as offenders and so on should do something to change the fact that everyone looks down on hoodies and gangs," Hannah told us.
We also spoke to young people in different parts of Wales to find out what they thought about the attitudes of society towards teenagers and you can hear what they had to say by watching the short video clip at the top of this page.
Perception
Facts and figures
- 72% feel nervous, threatened or scared when they see young people wearing hoodies in the street. Prince's Trust "Truth About Youth" survey, November 2008
- 55% of adults thought there was more conflict between adults and children now compared to when they were young. The Children's Society, Good Childhood Inquiry 2009
