I’ve only recently thought about how crime affects me

By Susan Nash / @susan_nash

Yesterday the Office of National Statistics published its latest edition of Social Trends. Not a regular read of mine but as I delved into the tables and graphs I focused in on the stats on crime. Good news – with visible reductions in lots of areas. What about young people and crime? There again no real surprises. Young people are still more likely to be victims of crime, households headed by someone aged 16 to 24 were three times more likely than average to be burgled, and the incidence of personal crime continues to be high among young people.

So what you may ask? Well as a young person who rarely takes an interest in crime figures I began to reflect on my own perceptions of crime. I started to question why is it that despite the levels of young people afflicted and convicted of criminal activity, young people still remain rather absent from the solutions.

With the daily barrage of stories on ‘anti social behaviour’ young people are still very much typed faced as being simply the perpetrators, with little reported about how young people are disproportionately affected by this criminal activity.

There have been significant investments in youth services by the Labour government over the past decade, but still too many of the media reports on anti social behaviour demonise the many for the actions of the few.

As someone who was brought up in a less than idyllic neighbourhood in North East London I too have been on the receiving end of anti social behaviour in my own community. And in my area the increasing presence of Community Support Officers and more police visible on our streets is having a real impact in making residents feel safer. But in the attempt to tackle the fear of crime we must not ignore the needs of those young people who have committed criminal acts, and now more than ever, with less security in employment, we need to help prevent first time offenders opting for a perpetual life of crime.

Yes we need to preserve the safety of the majority of law abiding citizens, and the public need to feel confident that the justice system upholds the rights of the victim. But whilst many on the right would simply have us focus on tough measures without adequate prevention programs, we need to remind them that this approach never led to the safer communities we all desired.

Including young people in finding solutions to crime has been highlighted by many organisations and politicians alike. But it’s our party that has the ability to turn talk into action.

At last year’s party conference I witnessed the commitment and drive from those trying to provide hope to young people trying to get back on the straight and narrow. Participants relaying stories of the brilliant schemes in place to get former offenders back into training and education. But my memories from that meeting were the numerous tales citing frustrating barriers which made access to education or work near on impossible.

A lot has been achieved over the years, but there is still so much more to do. Next year when the ONS reproduce their stats, and I spend another lunchtime pouring over the facts and figures I would like to feel that those young people who have first hand experience of crime, whether it be as victims or as former prisoners are shaping and influencing the criminal justice system, helping not only reduce the percentages, but deterring more young people from entering a life of crime, and providing former offenders with a real purpose after prison.