Confronting Public Perceptions of Young People

It’s no secret that young people often get a bad rap. Whether it be in movies, TV shows, books or even in the way society sees them, it seems as if young people are always portrayed very negatively. I’m sure we’ve all seen the ‘typical teenager’ in an episode of a sitcom somewhere – lazy, moody, argumentative, and communicating only in a series of grunts and groans before promptly returning their gaze to their phone screens. Unfortunately, these views are not just prevalent in modern media, but they are also rife in our society, with public perceptions of young people reflecting these same ideas – lacking empathy, disengaged and even displaying antisocial and violent behaviour. As a result of this, young people face difficulties and barriers within society that seem to treat them as if they are all in fact dangers to society.

In my own life, I have heard of young people having to leave their bags outside before going into a corner shop as the owners fear that they may be shoplifters. This not only means leaving their personal items at the risk of being stolen but also serves as a constant reminder that young people are not trusted or that their rights are not respected in society. This was echoed by Susan Harrison, a CLD youth worker and school HSPO who said, “There’s a lot of shops that have banned young people from going in at certain times, or they’ve banned young people from going in without an adult.”

This issue is not exclusive to corner shops and in fact has spread to large fast-food chains and supermarkets, with some employing security guards, not letting young people in past a certain time and some not allowing more than two young people in at a time. And it’s not only shops, as Harrison said that she often encounters this stereotype with the adults she interacts with on a day-to-day basis, but it’s often the people who don’t work with young people who hold these opinions. The ones who see through the stereotypes and recognise that young people are nothing like how they are so often assumed to be, are the ones who work with them, “So anyone who works with young people whether it’s teachers, whether it’s police officers, whether it’s healthcare workers, whether it’s partnership officers, youth workers, they know that young people are wonderful, they’ve got energy, they’ve got enthusiasm. I love young people’s honesty and people who work with young folk know that and recognise that. The people who make the comments are the ones who have nothing to do with young people, they’ve not had any young people in their lives since they were at school, and they’ll make comments about what they’re up to and how they’re trouble makers…”

So, it is clear that there is an issue, but how can we solve this? And how can we make sure that young people are getting recognition for their good qualities?

Volunteering and social action challenges these negative stereotypes as the good work young people do in their schools, local communities, youth clubs and even at a national and international level totally dispel these myths. To name a few:

Young people are not ‘lazy’ as many choose to get involved in social action and volunteer within their communities on top of a school or university schedule, a part time job, family or caring commitments and just living their lives.

Young people are not ‘apathetic’ as the very nature of volunteering and social action is doing good things and helping people without getting anything in return.

Young people are not ‘glued to their phones’ as they get their hands dirty and get involved with youth charitable organisations to attend events, create their own passion projects, and become representatives for young people.

In short, young people are not these moody husks that go through life with the sole purpose of causing chaos. They are educated, enthusiastic and passionate young people who want to use their voices and experience for a greater purpose as they seek to improve the lives of other young people like them and for the young people of the future.

This is again furthered by Susan Harrison who says, from a young person’s perspective, her advice would be, “continue to do what you do, so getting involved in stuff, getting involved in your local community, showing an interest in stuff. I know that when you’ve had a hard day at school, it’s natural to want to go home and want to go under your bed covers and just like switch off from the world but actually giving up an hour or two of your time every week to help other people I think is going to challenge some of those misconceptions out there, but will also give you something personally, will help you both in terms of your confidence, your skills but also that feeling of your self esteem that you’ve actually done something.”

Social action not only allows young people to showcase their talents, their passions, their interests but sees them take responsibility for their future and stand up for what they believe in, without letting their age stop them. And when young people take a stand, speak at events, and participate in events at a national and even international level, people take notice, and it becomes hard to deny the fact that young people are so much more than people think.

But it shouldn’t just be down to the young people to change people’s minds. Support workers and adults should be helping to amplify the voices and achievements of young people and also play a part in challenging these stereotypes. Harrison says that for adults, she believes they should be, “giving opportunities, and providing opportunities for young people, so not being quick to say ‘oh well, you know, they’re 15 so they may be trouble so we’re not letting them in’, actually giving young people a chance the same as you would with any other person, with any other group of people in society, you would give them a chance.” Because sometimes that’s all it takes. One opportunity, one chance to prove yourself can lead to huge change being made.

Giving young people a chance to prove themselves and participate in an opportunity can go a long way in proving that young people are so much more than the negative stereotypes. A lot of the time, it can be easy to ignore or disregard the thoughts of young people in society and so often decisions are made for young people without actually hearing what they have to say. It should not be the case of assuming what young people want but asking them yourself. Having young people involved in decision making, panels or even having them speak directly to change-makers can be so powerful and so impactful and gives young people a chance to show adults exactly what they are made of.

Sometimes, as a young person, the situation can seem rather bleak. Having restrictions put on where you can go and when, not being trusted despite doing nothing wrong and not knowing how to make a change. But it is important to remember that there are youth workers, adults, and change-makers out there who see the value of young people and are actively pushing to try and disprove these stereotypes every day. When asked to summarise her view of young people, having worked in the sector, Susan Harrison said that, in short, “young people are fantastic.” She sees getting to work with young people as a “privilege” and says that she is, “humbled” that she gets to “be part of that journey for a lot of these young folk.” She also said that she learns something new every day, whether it be a new joke, a new way of thinking or even some of the new vocabulary used by today’s young people, she appreciates all of it, seeing it as just some of the amazing things that come with working with young people. So yes, it does sometimes hurt knowing that a large portion of society views young people in a very negative way, however that does not mean that’s how it will always be.

Now, young people’s achievements are being recognised on a larger scale, being promoted through national platforms and social media channels and in general, young people being appreciated for their social action work. We need to use our voices, our experiences and platforms to showcase the amazing things young people can do as this can go a long way in challenging public perceptions, negative stereotypes and creating a more positive world for young people. Susan Harrison truly believes in this idea, as she overall has a very optimistic view of the future through working with young people – “I want those young people to feel part of something, I want them to create a better world than the one we’ve got just now and I’m really confident it’s going to happen.”

Written by Gemma Hickey.