The vast majority of young people in Northern Ireland are not involved in anti-social behaviour, youngsters themselves insisted.
The Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People's Youth Panel was so outraged about how adults regard teenagers that they shot a damning video in response and posted it on the YouTube website. The video, produced to mark International Youth Day, insisted most young people were not involved in criminality and were just getting on with their lives.
Tristan Boyle, who edited the video, said too often the headlines missed the good work young people did. "In this Olympic week there are hundreds of young people training to reach the top level at their sports and there are thousands involved in sports because they enjoy it," he said. "There are hundreds of young people involved in drama, voluntary work and there are thousands studying for exams so they can contribute to Northern Ireland society," he added.
Video producer Deboragh Curley said: "If there are five children and young people accused of anti-social behaviour there are 499,995 who are not involved in it any way."
Commissioner Patricia Lewsley said the Youth Panel had used the medium of video to explain complex issues that they felt strongly about, and done so in a fun and entertaining way.
Panel member Megan O'Kane said: "We suffer from an adult world that threatens to criminalise young people through anti-social behaviour orders, and now seems to be planning dispersal orders if we even want to hang about with our friends."
12 August 2008
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hHz7c-h1BlT2W9-4OV3Yk4y3pNFg
