Youth
Understanding and Engaging Deprived Communities
This Home Office study was designed to enhance understanding of deprived, high crime communities by exploring perceptions of the local area. The views were taken from children, parents, residents, politicians, and professionals living and working in the community.
Title: Understanding and engaging deprived communities
Author:
Home Office Research Development Statistics
Series: On-line report 07/04
Number of pages:
Date published: April 2004
On Track is a pilot project for the provision of multiple interventions for children and families in areas of high deprivation and crime. There are 24 pilot projects in England and Wales delivering services with the aim of reducing the risks of children becoming involved in antisocial and criminal behaviour. Four of the 24 areas were selected as case study examples of a range of urban and rural contexts.
Main Findings
Each of the 4 areas was perceived by participants to have a bad reputation. This was intensified by the local media but sometimes reinforced by professional networks.
Residents and children were generally positive about their areas but, from around the age of 8, children were critical of their environment. The single most important improvement demanded in all locations was the clean up of the local area. Also of importance to children were more places to play and the desire that these places should be safe.
The detailed layout of the housing had a significant impact on how people felt about their area and how they used it, whether it felt safe or whether it created "hot-spots" for crime. Schools, shops and community provision were all important for providing settings for community interaction.
Young children and adults saw teenagers as the source of many of the problems of nuisance and anti-social behaviour. "Teenagers" was often used as a generic term to include those who were both younger and older. There was a consistent desire to see more things for these young people to do.
Complaints about antisocial behaviour and crime featured strongly. There was a demand for more visible policing. People want things to be better and they want their children to have the best chances possible.
Two of the areas had considerable population movement and a lack of stability, which made the provision of services and the interaction of neighbours particularly difficult. Residents wanted easily accessible, neutral meeting places and opportunities for self-empowerment through better access to advice and, where relevant, English language skills.
People are more likely to participate in their local community when they sense that they are being listened to and things are improving.
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Last update: 15 April 2004