One in three young people feel unsafe in Reading, report reveals

The pre-Covid survey by Reading Voluntary Action’s (RVA) Youth Social Action Team, in conjunction with University of Reading and the Whitley Researchers, looked into how young people experience growing up in Reading.

The Youth Social Action Team has recommended youth hubs should be set up across Reading and called for a review of current activities open to young people.

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Other recommendations include training and paying youth counsellors or guides to support their peers and opening a Reading-wide discussion focused on young people’s needs and concerns.

From the responses to the survey of 607 young people aged 11-18, researchers identified four key priorities among Reading's youth.

• Mental health and wellbeing, especially tackling loneliness

• Being and feeling safe
• Creating a sense of community
• Widening the diversity of activities and opportunities available for young people

Charlotte Netherton-Sinclair, co-ordinator of the project, said: “Young people feel helpless to initiate change, that there is nowhere or no structure available to them to have their voices heard – so how can they make a difference when no one is listening?

“It’s up to us as organisations to provide our youth with those support structures and platforms they need in order to speak up and to appreciate the value young people can bring to any conversation – political, social or otherwise.

“We hope that this research and report is the start of a new wave of youth voice, change, and action in Reading.”

And RVA chief executive Rachel Spencer said the Covid-19 pandemic has made the priorities identified by the Youth Social Action Team – especially tackling loneliness among young people and supporting the diverse communities in Reading – even more urgent.

The report will be discussed at Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Education committee on Tuesday, March 30.

Another report which shows the impact of Covid-19 on young people in Reading will also be discussed at the meeting.

The survey of 608 young people in Reading aged 11-18 looked at six areas, which we detail below.

1. Voice and self-expression

Young people in Reading were asked if they feel they have a voice

The report found around half of young people felt Reading offered creative opportunities to freely express themselves and half did not.

Around 22 per cent felt that their views were never heard.

Other recommendations included creating spaces in which older teenagers feel engaged, and in which BAME youth (particularly black youths) can feel at home.

Researchers said these two social groups are significantly less engaged than others.

And they said young people attending mainstream schools lag behind grammar schools and private schools in the degree to which they participate in clubs.

2. Life satisfaction

Young people were asked about their life satisfaction

The report found teenagers with supportive relationships with others have significantly higher life satisfaction.

Around half of respondents were “fairly positive” about the current sports and social facilities on offer.

3. The future

The young people were also asked what they wanted for their future

When asked what they wanted for themselves for the future, 62 per cent mentioned wanting a good job, 28 per cent mentioned happiness and good mental health and 26 per cent mentioned family, friends and community.

Additionally, 20 per cent mentioned the environment they would want to live in, 13 per cent mentioned school or university goals, and eight per cent said they want “lots of money”.

Six per cent said they wanted to have good physical health.

The report concluded there was an overarching theme of stability across the desires of Reading’s youth for their futures.

4. Challenges and changes needed

Odane Cross, pictured, runs a knife amnesty to help get knives off our streets. Photo by Paul King.

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Asked what the is biggest problem for them growing up in Reading, 35 per cent mentioned feeling unsafe going out.

Concerns included:

• Gangs

• Violence and knife crime

• Dodgy areas

• Being a female alone in a dark town

• Aggressive people

• Fear of other young people, such as “roadmen” and bullies

Sixteen per cent mentioned a lack of things to do and a lack of facilities in Reading, such as clubs, swimming pools and extracurricular activities.

Other concerns were a lack of community connection (15 per cent), money problems (nine per cent), pressures on mental health (eight per cent), constraints on life choices (eight per cent), problems with transport (seven per cent) and problems with Reading’s physical environment (seven per cent).

5. Community in Reading

The One Reading Commnunity Hub, set up during the Covid-19 pandemic

The young people were asked: ‘Based on your past experience, what changes would you like to see in our communities?’ and could name up to three changes.

The most popular change suggested was making our communities safer (39 per cent)

Other responses included:

• More things to do and places to go (37 per cent)
• Build community and help people connect (29 per cent)
• Clean up litter and beautify Reading (18 per cent)
• Tackle poverty (17 per cent)
• Action on transport (16 per cent)
• Action on climate change (nine per cent)

6.  Issues important to young people

Tens of thousands of EU nationals given permission to continue living in Reading after Brexit

The last two questions young people were asked were ‘What issues (personal, political or social) are most important to you?’ and ‘Would you like to be more involved with the issues you named above?’.

Four in 10 people did not come up with an issue, while those who did mostly wanted an opportunity to be more involved with that issue.

Many issues raised were related to politics (38 per cent), such as Brexit and not having a say on their future.

Welfare and social justice issues (23 per cent) were also common, such as concern about the funding of services like the NHS, education, transport and sport.

Other issues raised included community concerns (21 per cent), health issues (18 per cent), climate action (18 per cent) and safety (14 per cent).