What can BCCS do to help?
August has seen some of the worst
rioting in London and other cities
as far back as people can remember. Your souls may sink at the
picture of a woman leaping from a
burning building, of the owners of
a family shop seeing their life's
work turned to ash, at the sight of
a thug unzipping the rucksack still
on the back of an injured teenager
and taking from it what he wants.
It is heartening to know that many faith
communities are working together on the
front line after the riots in London and other
cities and towns in the UK.
Archbishop Nichols, in a statement issued
on the 9th August, condemned the violence
and said;
"I ask that Catholics pray especially for those directly
affected by the violence, for those facing danger on the
streets, for those whose livelihood has been ruined, for those
whose lives are marked by fear, for those parents who are
worried about the behaviour of their youngsters and for those
who at this time, are being tempted into the ways of violence
and theft."
Brentwood Catholic Children's Society has a strong
presence in Hackney and Waltham Forest, where some of the
rioting took place. These are two of the most deprived
London Boroughs characterised by high unemployment,
poverty, ill health and other problems such as crime, fuelled
by drug and alcohol abuse. Our social workers work with
many children, young people and families affected by living
in the boroughs poorest estates and neighbourhoods. We
offer early intervention to support schools in their work with
young children to help them reach their potential and offer
alternatives to lives of crime. We know from research that it
is possible to identify some critical risk factors where knife
crime and gang culture is more likely to take hold. Factors
such as:
- detachment from the family and/or absence of parental support
- weak bonds or links with the school
- delinquency of their peers
- high levels of hopelessness
- exclusion from school and low confidence and self worth
are all significant contributory factors to involvement in
criminal behaviour.
Our early intervention approach and working in close
partnership with schools can identify children that are most
at risk. We hope that eventually, the work of our Society and
the efforts of other secular and faith based organisations will
not only dissuade some children and young people from risk
taking behaviour and gang involvement, but also help them
create a better life for themselves and become less alienated
from their communities.
Thank you for your continued support with our work.
