One in three young people feel unsafe in Reading
Out of 600 youngsters surveyed 35% didn't feel safe going out in the town
One in three young people feel unsafe in Reading, a report has revealed.
The pre-Covid report by Reading Voluntary Action’s (RVA) Youth Social Action Team, in 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.
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:
- 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.