Staying out of trouble and keeping safe
Parents today face a new series of challenges in bringing up their children and young people away from present day dangers of peer pressures and gang cultures. The tragedy of families affected by knife crime is very real and present in our community and many parents worry about the vulnerability of their children and young people when they are away from the family home.
Many of you will be aware of the Jimmy Mizen Foundation working with young people to make communities safer, after Jimmy was tragically killed on his way to buy a lottery ticket. The Brentwood Catholic Children's Society also works with children and young people in schools, which play a critical role in children's lives and their prospects. Schools working with parents can create a strong sense of belonging between families as well as linking the wider community into the schools. Parents rely on schools to help their children and young people learn essential skills for life and share a responsibility with the school for their emotional health and well-being. The Society supports schools and parents in working with children and young people who are more likely to get into trouble. Research shows that risk factors such as detachment from the family, absence of parental support, weak bonds or links with the school, low self-esteem, and self-worth can lead to children and young people becoming the victims or perpetrators of crime.
The nature of the referrals we receive highlight the complex issues that young people are confronted within their local communities. The Society is therefore developing a new project to work with children and young people to address the issues and problems associated with gang cultures. We intend to deliver a programme to young people designed to help them resist adverse peer group pressures and support individuals through sessions on confidence building and self-esteem. The project will also support families and young people who have been victims of a serious incident and raise awareness of parents in order to recognize signs when their teenager may be becoming involved with gang cultures. We will work closely with schools to meet our objectives in enabling our young people to feel safer on the streets outside the school environment.
We hope to give you a report on our progress in our next newsletter.
