Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Youth Work and who is delinquent.


I am obviously attracted to youngsters who are street kids. 
I have worked with them full time since I was 26 years old.
They are often brought up on the street and that is their skill, craft and employment. My youth projects have always attracted  a high percentage of teenage boys who carry knives, take drugs and are involved in planned violence (often football- and racially-motivated). They have other attributes, such as being unemployed, being from broken homes or handling stolen goods. They can chat normally when they are on their own but are often aggressive, abusive, disruptive and irresponsibly dangerous when with a group of friends.

Also we have teenagers attending who are relaxed, pleasant, friendly and enjoy friendships and the club facilities. They may have jobs or be unemployed. This category includes nearly all the girls but only a small minority of boys. Those in the club who don’t get involved in criminal activity – that is, the minority – are seen by the majority to be abnormal, or deviant! 
Steve Rowgslie, writing on ‘The Potential of Intermediate Treatment’ in New Society stated that 
“The minority who are too timid to share the joys of law-breaking 
are more likely than the delinquents to be maladjusted individuals”.