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Search forGangs replace families for Bristol teens
Friday, August 15, 2008, 08:00
A survey commissioned by The Prince's Trust youth charity found 40 per cent of young people did not have a parent they considered a role model.
And almost 73 per cent of youths aged 14-25 surveyed said that finding a sense of identity was a key reason for joining a gang.
The Culture of Youth Communities research revealed a staggering 21 per cent of Bristol youngsters looked for role models in gangs.
Martina Milburn, chief executive of the trust, said: "All the threads that hold a community together – a common identity, role models, a sense of safety – were given by young people as motivations to join gangs.
"Our research suggests that young people are creating their own 'youth communities' and gangs in search of the influences that could once have been found in traditional communities."
The figures also highlight how young people in Bristol are more than twice as likely to turn to a friend with a problem as they are to turn to a parent. Thirty-eight percent would choose a friend, while only 18 per cent would turn to a parent.
Low self-esteem, lack of job opportunities and lack of training are the issues most likely to hold people back, according to the research.
Yesterday, housing support group Wayahead celebrated its 25th anniversary of working with disaffected 16-25 year olds in Bristol.
In response to the survey, director Sue Sycamore, who has worked at Wayahead for 22 years, said: "This survey highlights the escalating problem of gang culture in Bristol.
"It also indicates the importance of organisations such as ours in helping these young people boost their self esteem and receive the support they need.
"We're funded by the local authorities but unfortunately there are cuts every year. As a result, this means all the most vulnerable people in the city are also getting cuts."
Last month, South Wales Chief Constable Barbara Wilding warned that family ties had been abandoned in place of "tribal loyalty" among gang members.
She claimed that social breakdown means violence and drugs have become a way of life in deprived parts of some English cities.
She said: "In many of our larger cities, in areas of extreme deprivation, there are almost feral groups of very angry young people.
"Many have experienced family breakdown, and in place of parental and family role models, the gang culture is now established.
"Tribal loyalty has replaced family loyalty and gang culture based on violence and drugs is a way of life."
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