The experience of being young has changed dramatically. The nostalgia of older people for the freedom of youth no longer applies. Not only is the prospect of a job diminishing but far too many boys and girls spend their youth being scared. According to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, the reduction in (illegal) stops and searches demanded by the Home Secretary has led some youth to carry knives with impunity. This does not square with my experience. In my work filming and writing about young offenders both here and in North America, I found fear was the driver for most who joined gangs, and for those carrying weapons — both guns and knives. They found being alone and unarmed too risky....
↧