I think Tooligan makes a good point. "Youth takes active role in community" is a headline you're unlikely to see in the papers, and yet I can think of many instances where it is true. Equally the urban/suburban deprevation described above is not unique to Scotland and is no more relevant to my experience living here than grouse shooting, highland dancing or eating shortbread.

This is not to say that its not a growing problem and requires everyones attention and consideration.

Firstly the easy stuff, like a lot of things, it begins at home. Do you always know what your kids are up to? If you come from a nice middle class home, in my experience it is likely that at some point your kids will dabble in some of the behaviour above by way of experimentation and gaining street-cred. These kids are saveable, do it for a couple of years then go off to college and get the jobs that give them society membership and a sense of responsibility. They are however a drain on policing as they will be carrying out their misbehaviour in the sort of areas where people will harry the police to attend.

The other less fortunate onesicing? Community policing seems to be desirable from what has been said before and this would seem to be beneficial. Perhaps addressing the symptoms rather than the problem itself though.I think people need to feel valued members of society. How to achieve this when, as stated above, the kind of mass employment opportunities no longer exist?

I have bounced a thought round my head for the last couple of years without ever fully forming it. I had wondered if there was some connection to be made between the growing unemployment of the 50+, lack of opportunity for the young and the widening gap globally between the haves and the have nots. Is there an opportunity for a government scheme that would pay for time served men to do charitable work abroad, with convicted youths given an option to carryout apprenticeships abroad, rather than community service. Thus giving them employable skills and giving them the wider context of seeing a bigger world out there... Don't know. Its bound to be riddled with flaws that I don't have the experience ot see, and I'm not sure this is the correct forum to discuss, but something does need to be done.

Z(R)