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Childhood is changing, but ‘paedophobia’ makes things worse

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22 October 2006

Britain is in danger of becoming a nation fearful of its young people, compounding the problems of troubled childhood-adult transitions, according to new research from the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) to be published next month. The research shows that British adults are less likely than those in other European countries to intervene to stop teenagers committing anti social behaviour.

ippr’s research comes after an extensive debate on the ‘problems of modern youth’ by academics, practitioners, commentators and even the Archbishop of Canterbury. The 200 page report analyses evidence from across the world and concludes that both the frequent condemnation of teenagers and recent attempts to absolve them from blame are misplaced. The report says that changes in the family, local communities and the economy have combined to cause deep inequalities in the transition to modern adult life and leave increasing numbers of young people incapable of growing up safely and successfully.

ippr’s report will say that a lack of adult supervision of teenagers in communities where adults do not know their neighbours and where teenage groups go unsupervised on the street has increased the risk of youth crime and violence. It shows that young people who claim not to spend time with their parents commit more antisocial behaviour.

The report shows that:

Last year more than 1.5 million Britons thought about moving away from their local area due to young people hanging around and 1.7 million avoided going out after dark as a direct result. Last year Britons were three times more likely to cite young people hanging around as a problem than they were to complain about noisy neighbours. In 1992 it was just 1.75 times more likely.
Britons are more likely than other Europeans to say that young people are predominantly responsible for antisocial behaviour, and they are also more likely to cite ‘lack of discipline’ as the root cause: 79 percent of Britons thought this underpinned antisocial behaviour, compared to 69 percent of Spaniards, 62 percent of Italians and 58 percent of French people.

But the report cites evidence that:

British adults are less likely than those in other European countries to stop teenagers committing anti social behaviour. Sixty five percent of Germans, 52 percent of Spanish and 50 percent of Italians would be willing to intervene if they saw a group of 14 year old boys vandalising a bus shelter, compared to just 34 percent of Britons. Thirty-nine percent of Britons are unwilling to get involved claimed they feared being physically attacked, 14 percent were scared of later reprisals and 12 percent feared being verbally abused.

The report also shows that participation in structured youth activities is better for young people than unstructured youth clubs. ippr’s analysis of data from cohorts born in 1958 and 1970 shows that by the age of 30, young people who participated in sports or community centres at age 16 were three percent less likely to be depressed; five percent less likely to be single, separated or divorced; three percent less likely to be in social housing; two percent less likely to have no qualifications; four percent less likely not to have achieved level two qualifications; and three percent less likely to be on a low income. Attending uniformed activities (like the Scouts, sports or martial arts) mean you were three percent less likely not to achieve level two qualifications, three percent less likely to be on a low income and less likely to be depressed in adulthood. Young people who attended church were two percent less likely to smoke in adulthood, three percent more likely to experience psychological distress in adulthood and less likely to have no qualifications, low income or be an offender.

These results stand in marked contrast to youth club attendees, who were six percent more likely to smoke in adulthood, one percent more likely to be a single parent, one percent more likely to be a victim of crime, five percent more likely to have no qualifications and seven percent more likely not to have reached level two qualifications. They were also five percent more likely to be an offender and two percent more likely to be on a low income.

Nick Pearce, ippr Director, said:

“The debate about childhood in Britain is polarised between false opposites: that either children or adults are to blame. It also ignores inequalities in the transition to adulthood. Many children are safer, healthier and better educated than in the past, whilst others suffer complex, traumatic routes through adolescence. Complex structural changes to our society, coupled with changes to how young people behave, have produced this situation.

"A rise in social paedophobia will simply make matters worse. In the past, local parents tended to look out for children in a community, deciding what behaviour was appropriate, how it should be dealt with and supporting each other in doing so. In closer knit communities, adults supervised their neighbours' children. These days, adults tend to turn a blind eye or cross over on the other side of the road rather than intervene in the discipline of another person’s child, often because they fear they might be attacked.”

Freedom’s Orphans: Raising Youth in a Changing World, will be published next month (Nov) and will recommend that every secondary school pupil (from 11-16 years old) should participate in at least two hours a week of structured and purposeful extracurricular activities – like martial arts, drama clubs, sports, Scouts, and so on. This would take place through extended school hours of between 8am-6pm and would involve a legal extension of the school day. Parents who did not ensure their child attended two hours a week of activities could be fined, in the same way as parents are punished for their child’s persistent truancy.

The report argues that this will help promote educational attainment, develop personal skills and reduce problem behaviour across adolescence and into young adulthood. It would also provide the opportunity to mix with non-deviant peers, to be mentored by adult activity leaders, and work towards clear goals like badges and belts.

ippr research shows that at the moment, just one in four young people have access to a ‘structured’ youth activities. There are 11,095 youth clubs in England providing for 1.2million 11-16 year olds. There are 4.6million 11-16 year olds in England to be provided for.

Notes to Editors

Respondents were asked how confident they would feel intervening personally if they saw a small group of 14 year old boys vandalising a bus shelter:

in Great Britain, 30 percent would definitely not challenge them, 32 percent would probably not challenge them, 23 percent would probably challenge them and 11 percent would challenge them;
in Germany, 7 percent would definitely not challenge them, 21 percent would probably not challenge them, 40 percent would probably challenge them and 24 percent would challenge them;
in Italy , 13 percent would definitely not challenge them, 28 percent would probably not challenge them, 37 percent would probably challenge them and 30 percent would challenge them;
in Spain, 9 percent didn’t know, 17 percent would definitely not challenge them, 24 percent would probably not challenge them, 34 percent would probably challenge them and 17 percent would challenge them. Percentages may not total to 100 due to rounding.
in France, 19 percent would definitely not challenge them, 34 percent would probably not challenge them, 31 percent would probably challenge them and 9 percent would challenge them;
in the Netherlands, 19 percent would definitely not challenge them, 30 percent would probably not challenge them, 30 percent would probably challenge them and 13 percent would challenge them;

Britons were asked how likely would you be to intervene if you saw two or three teenagers…?

Spray painting on a building in your street – 36 percent definitely ask them to stop; 24 percent probably ask them to stop; 21 percent probably don’t ask them to stop; 18 percent definitely don’t ask them to stop.
Damaging property or cars in your street – 44 percent definitely ask them to stop; 24 percent probably ask them to stop; 15 percent probably don’t ask them to stop; 15 percent definitely don’t ask them to stop.
Being loud, rowdy or noisy outside your home – 36 percent definitely ask them to stop; 27 percent probably ask them to stop; 21 percent probably don’t ask them to stop; 14 percent definitely don’t ask them to stop.
Abusing, harassing or insulting an elderly person in the street – 68 percent would definitely ask them to stop; 22 percent probably ask them to stop; 4 percent probably don’t ask them to stop; 5 percent definitely don’t ask them to stop.

Contacts

Richard Darlington, ippr media manager, 020 7470 6177 / 07738 320 645 / r.darlington@ippr.org

Matt Jackson, ippr senior media officer, 020 7339 0007 / 07753 719 289 / m.jackson@ippr.org