A think-tank report examined drug and alcohol addiction in the United Kingdom. It said that 1.6 million English adults were dependent on alcohol, 300,000 people in England were addicted to opiates and/or crack, and the rate of use of legal highs by young people in the United Kingdom was the highest in Europe. The report said that treatment centres focused too heavily on managing addiction, rather than promoting abstinence, and that the FRANK campaign, aimed at drug and alcohol prevention with young people, was inadequate. The report outlined a wide range of potential responses, including for new powers to prevent the sale of dangerous legal highs, for a 'treatment tax' (of one penny per unit) on alcohol to fund rehabilitation centres, and for benefits sanctions for adults who continually refused treatment for addiction.
Source: Ambitious for Recovery: Tackling drug and alcohol addiction in the UK, Centre for Social Justice
Links: Report | CSJ press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Aug
A report examined the views, concerns and, values of 'Generation Next', the cohort of children and young people in England and Wales who were born around the turn of the Millennium and were aged 11-16. The report covered views on future career prospects, perceived barriers to well paid work, young people's engagement with politics, and their views on priorities for government policy, both locally and nationally.
Source: Krishna Chhatralia and Julia Pye, Who is Generation Next?, National Children s Bureau/Ipsos MORI
Links: Report | NCB press release
Date: 2014-Jul
A new book examined the lives and experiences of young people not in education, employment, or training, drawing on a longitudinal study of young people in the north of England. It argued that the issues could only be fully understood through the concept of marginalization, and considered the implications of the research for practitioners and policymakers.
Source: Robin Simmons, Ron Thompson, and Lisa Russell, Education, Work and Social Change: Young people and marginalisation in post-industrial Britain, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined the 'common weal' – a vision for a better Scotland that called for equality, mutual working, and wealth shared in common – and what it could mean for children and young people in Scotland. It said that a combination of factors contributed to discrimination against children, and argued that Scotland should now organize itself around principles of social justice, which would require a change in how adults perceived children and childhood, young people and youth.
Source: John Davis, Louise Hill, Kay Tisdall, Liam Cairns, and Selwyn McCausland, Social Justice, the Common Weal and Young People in Scotland, The Jimmy Reid Foundation
Date: 2014-Apr
A report provided a collection of articles and policy proposals on approaches to encouraging political participation by young people in the United Kingdom.
Source: Andrew Mycock and Jonathan Tonge (eds), Beyond the Youth Citizenship Commission: Young people and politics, Political Studies Association
Links: Report | PSA press release
Date: 2014-Apr
A report examined the scale of student volunteering in the United Kingdom. It said that over 725,000 students currently volunteered (31 per cent of all students) and over two-thirds of those who did not volunteer said that they would be interested in doing so in the future. The report estimated the equivalent economic contribution to amount to £175 million a year. The report looked at motivations for volunteering, the range of preferred activities and organizations, and what might promote volunteering among students.
Source: Fiona Ellison and Helen Kerr, The Student Volunteering Landscape, National Union of Students
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the racism, discrimination, and identity confusion experienced by mixed race children and young people in England and Wales, with a focus on their mental health.
Source: Dinah Morley and Cathy Street, Mixed Experiences: Growing up mixed race – mental health and well-being, National Children's Bureau
Links: Summary | NCB press release | Guardian report
Date: 2014-Feb
A new book examined the role and meaning of religion for young people growing up in contemporary, multicultural urban contexts.
Source: Nicola Madge, Peter Hemming, and Kevin Stenson, Youth On Religion: The development, negotiation and impact of faith and non-faith identity, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined young people's citizenship in the United Kingdom. It challenged popular stereotypes of young people, finding that they were characterized by tolerance, compassion, and motivation to tackle social issues, with a more responsible attitude to drink and drugs than in the past, and a greater likelihood to volunteer. It described teenagers as 'digital natives', accustomed to speed and responsiveness, with a desire for politics to engage them at the same pace. It called for the media to adopt a more positive narrative around 'Generation Citizen', for the voting age to be lowered to 16, and for a sustained effort to encourage the young vote.
Source: Jonathan Birdwell and Mona Bani, Introducing Generation Citizen, Demos
Links: Report | Summary | Demos press release | BBC report | Independent report
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined political and civic engagement by young men on the margins of the labour market.
Source: Linda McDowell, Esther Rootham, and Abby Hardgrove, 'Politics, anti-politics, quiescence and radical unpolitics: young men's political participation in an "ordinary" English town', Journal of Youth Studies, Volume 17 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined survey data on young people's attitudes to political participation. Young people did profess a commitment to the political process, although they considered that there were relatively few opportunities available for them to intervene effectively in formal political life. Their engagement with formal politics was complex and nuanced. Social class and educational history both appeared to have a crucial bearing on political engagement, and views also differed according to ethnicity and – to a lesser extent – gender.
Source: Matt Henn and Nick Foard, 'Social differentiation in young people's political participation: the impact of social and educational factors on youth political engagement in Britain', Journal of Youth Studies, Volume 17 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined the regional migration patterns of young adults (aged 16-24) in England and Wales, drawing on an analysis of revised National Health Service Central Record data (2002-2008). It said that: young adults were increasing as a proportion of regional migrants; migration flows had decreased for various age groups, with the notable exception of 16-24-year-olds; and there were major regional differences between the migration flows of 16-24-year-olds.
Source: Darren Smith and Joanna Sage, 'The regional migration of young adults in England and Wales (2002 2008): a conveyor-belt of population redistribution?', Children's Geographies, Volume 12 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan