The National Youth Agency - Youth Issues News

Youth Issues News

Each weekday The NYA monitors the national press, government press releases, Hansard, parliamentary websites and specialist publications for news and information about young people and youth policy.

This intelligence feeds the work of the Policy, Information and Research team. National press scanned include the Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Times, Independent, Times Educational Supplement, and Voice. Comments and feedback welcome - email: Jo Poultney

2009
2008
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Young people to shine at festival: 30 Jun 2008Nearly 2,500 schools are set to take part in England's first national schools festival designed to showcase talent in young people this week.

Behaviour of pop stars 'eroding children's moral values': 30 Jun 2008The majority of parents are concerned about the values children learn from those around them, according to a survey carried out by GfK NOP as part of a two year inquiry by the Children's Society into the state of modern childhood.

State will take action against parents who can't control their children: 27 Jun 2008The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has called for a huge expansion of state intervention in family life as a way of preventing young people drifting into antisocial behaviour and crime.

Government sets out its vision for world-class public services: 27 Jun 2008The next phase of public service reforms has been announced by the government.

Latest findings from Citizenship Survey: 27 Jun 2008Headline findings from the latest Citizenship Survey for April 2007-March 2008 reveal that over half of the people surveyed (56 per cent) feel that there is now more racial prejudice in Britain than five years ago.

Unison calls for multi-agency forums to tackle gun and knife crime: 27 Jun 2008Delegates at the union’s national conference have called for multi-agency teams to be set up to tackle the root causes of gun and knife crime among young people.

Child safety laws mean adults 'scared to approach children': 26 Jun 2008A report by the thinktank Civitas has claimed that adults are afraid to interact with other people's children because they fear being labelled a paedophile.

Community engagement and community cohesion: 26 Jun 2008A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation explores the challenges to be addressed if government policies to promote community engagement are to be genuinely inclusive of new communities as well as more established communities.

More money for sexual health services in further education settings: 26 Jun 2008Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo has announced that the government is to provide an additional £6 million over the next three years to further develop sexual health services in further education settings, as part of a wider drive to tackle unplanned teenage pregnancies and abortions among young women.

New technology and old fashioned values: 25 Jun 2008A national survey of 1,000 UK children by 4Children has revealed that despite spending long hours on computers and mobile phones, children have strong social consciences and respect traditional values as much as any previous generation.

Dance moves centre stage for more young people: 25 Jun 2008The government has set out plans to create stronger links between schools and dance providers with over £100, 000 to enable Youth Dance England to continue their work as part of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People.

Action plan to implement Byron recommendations: 25 Jun 2008The government has published a plan on how it intends to make the internet and video games safer for children and young people based on the recommendations outlined in Dr Tanya Byron's report 'Safer Children in a Digital World'.

Further £3 million for mentoring programme: 25 Jun 2008The government has announced a further £3 million for the youth mentoring programme set up to help young people in challenging circumstances realise their potential.

Approach youth crime with caution: 25 Jun 2008Comment piece on the focus of the forthcoming youth crime action plan which is expected to see an expanded role for children's trusts and a more 'welfare-orientated' early intervention approach to juvenile justice.

It's time the great and good met some real scary kids: 25 Jun 2008Mark Johnson, who is part of Channel 4's Street Weapons Commission, argues that in order to tackle the problem of young people joining gangs and carrying weapons we should start talking to those young people not just about them.

Island of last resort: 25 Jun 2008Case study describes the work of an innovative youth detention centre in Sweden where young offenders are integrated into village life in order to recreate a family environment.

White working class boys least likely to go to university: 25 Jun 2008A National Audit Office report has claimed that white working class boys are severely under-represented in universities and portrays the English university sector as strongly divided along class lines.

Permanent school exclusions fall: 25 Jun 2008The government has released new figures which show that permanent school exclusions have dropped by 7 per cent, although temporary exclusions have risen by 4 per cent.

Young people bear the olympic torch of tolerance: 24 Jun 2008Young people from schools across the country are being encouraged to explore their identity, ask what it means to be British and celebrate diversity as part of the first Who Do We Think We Are? Week to help build community cohesion.

Call for health inequalities push: 24 Jun 2008A government commissioned report providing a detailed breakdown of public health indicators has shown that the north-south divide in health inequalities is widening.

Pupil sex health clinics defended: 24 Jun 2008A survey by the Sex Education Forum has found that sexual health clinics are available in nearly 30 per cent of secondary schools in England.

Adults need to grow up: 24 Jun 2008Comment piece on society's attitude to young people and sex which calls for compulsory sex and relationships education in schools and argues that failing to provide decent sex education leaves children and young people vulnerable and ill-informed about the risks they are taking.

Government outlines new ways to lift children out of poverty: 24 Jun 2008The government has announced a package of new initiatives to help families and end child poverty as part of a renewed drive to increase social mobility.

Sharp rise in offending by under 18s: 23 Jun 2008An increasing number of young people are ending up in trouble with the police and the courts, according to figures gathered by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) thinktank.

Post 16 participation rate at highest level ever: 20 Jun 2008According to new government figures a record 1.6 million young people aged 16 to 18 - the highest number ever - are now taking part in education, work or training.

Abortions hit all-time high, with more terminations for under-16s: 20 Jun 2008Guardian article following government figures announced yesterday that show a 10% rise in abortions for young women aged under 16.

Youth clubs should open on Friday nights: 19 Jun 2008In a review of the criminal justice system, crime and communities adviser Louise Casey has called for youth clubs to operate every Friday night in the 50 most deprived areas of England and Wales to help tackle anti-social behaviour among young people.

Successful parenting services get extra cash: 19 Jun 2008The government has announced a continuation of the Pareting Fund with an extra £8m.

Abortion increase in young women: 19 Jun 2008The Department of Health has issued abortion statistics for 2007.

Young people to 'shout out' about their hopes, dreams, fears and concerns: 19 Jun 2008Young people across the country are being encouraged to 'shout out' about their hopes and dreams, fears and concerns for 4Children's Shout Out 4Children Week.

Public 'cut off' by crime process: 18 Jun 2008In a review for the Cabinet Office, crime and communities adviser Louise Casey has claimed that criminals' punishment needs to be much more "visible" to restore public confidence in the justice system.

How to fight crime: 18 Jun 2008A new report from Crime Concern has set out a wish list of six ways to cut crime and create safer neighbourhoods.

White working-class boys risk university lockout: 18 Jun 2008A research study published by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, into the gender gap in higher education has found that white young people are significantly less likely to go to university than their peers from ethnic minority groups, even when they have the same qualifications at A level.

UK Children most likely to try cannabis: 18 Jun 2008A report by the World Health Organisation has claimed that young people in the UK are more likely to drink, smoke and to have tried cannabis than in many other western countries.

v challenges MPs to volunteer alongside young people: 18 Jun 2008MPs across the country are being invited to volunteer alongside young people in their constituencies to see how young volunteers are making a difference to their communities.

Tackling young runaways: a role for everyone: 17 Jun 2008The government has launched a new Young Runaways Action Plan.

Young people allowed to stay in foster families beyond the age of 18: 17 Jun 2008The government has announced a new pilot programme which will allow young people to stay in foster families beyond the age of 18.

Crime plan to keep children out of jail: 17 Jun 2008As part of the youth crime action plan to be published this summer, the Home Office has recommended that responsibility and funding for tackling youth crime, including local youth offending teams, should be moved to local authority run children's trusts.

Binge-drinking adverts launched: 17 Jun 2008A series of adverts warning 18- to 24-year-olds about the consequences of binge-drinking is being launched by the Home Office.

Boxing clever: 17 Jun 2008Case study of the London Boxing Academy Community Project in north London, which combines sport with education for disengaged inner-city young people.

Youth chief urges cut in custody: 16 Jun 2008The head of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, Frances Done, has urged magistrates and judges to impose fewer custodial sentences on young offenders.

Young people leaving care shouldn't be abandoned at 18: 16 Jun 2008Comment piece by a young care leaver in support of action by foster carers who are asking the govenrment to change the rules on young people leaving care, extending funding to those foster carers who keep young people on after the age of 18.

Compulsory lessons urged on forced marriage and 'honour' violence: 13 Jun 2008Lessons about "honour"-based violence and forced marriage should be an explicit statutory requirement in British schools and become a compulsory part of the sex and relationships curriculum, MPs have said.

Youth crime - MPA and Met guest on Choice FM: 13 Jun 2008Youth crime - MPA and Met guest on Choice FM's Richard Blackwood show to hear what London thinks Cindy Butts, deputy chair of the MPA, and Commander Rod Jarman from the Met will be guests the show on Sunday 15 June.

Bright pupils missing out on university, study shows: 13 Jun 2008Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are significantly less likely to go to university because they are failing to get A-levels, it concludes.

Local authorities deliver better outcomes for children and young people: 12 Jun 200878 per cent of local authorities are making a good or outstanding contribution towards delivering better outcomes for children and young people, according to a report by Ofsted.

Prentice challenges next generation of leaders: 12 Jun 2008Democracy Minister Bridget Prentice has launched a new group aimed at encouraging young people to become active citizens.

£6 million boost for young carers: 11 Jun 2008The government has announced a new strategy to improve the lives of carers.

Public favour draconian action over knife crime: 11 Jun 2008A new Populus poll for the Times has suggested that the public favour much tougher action by the police and the courts on knives.

Plea for children of mentally ill: 11 Jun 2008A new report from Barnardo's claims that more needs to be done to support the children of parents with mental illness.

Child poverty up: 11 Jun 2008New figures have revealed a widening gap between the richest and poorest families and a second successive 100,000 rise in the number of children living below the government's poverty threshold.

Police authorities work together to help protect children and young people: 10 Jun 2008The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) is to host a seminar for police authorities from around the country to explore their responsibilities to protect children and young people.

Schools told to improve or close: 10 Jun 2008Almost one in five secondary schools in England is to be given a warning to improve exam results or face closure.

Apprentices gain life skills too: 10 Jun 2008Interview with David Lammy, the Minister for Skills, on the government's drive to expand the number of apprenticeships, which he argues offer young people much more than the ability to do a job.

Young people meet minister to discuss children's rights issues: 10 Jun 2008A delegation of young people visited Children's Minister Beverley Hughes at the Department of Children, Schools and Families to discuss their views on children's rights yesterday.

UN dossier details grim plight of many young people in Britain: 9 Jun 2008More than 100 areas in which childrens's rights should be strengthened have been identified by the four children's commissioners for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in a report prepared for the UN review of children's rights in Britain.

Diplomas 'could spell disaster': 6 Jun 2008A leading academic, Professor Alan Smithers has warned that plans to introduce Diplomas could undermine educational standards and fail to prepare young people for work or university.

Free swimming for all by 2012 in £130m campaign for a healthier Britain: 6 Jun 2008The government has announced plans to introduce free swimming at municipal pools.

NCH to revamp image and change name: 6 Jun 2008Children's charity NCH is to be relaunched with a new name and image in September.

Tough new sanctions to tackle knife crime: 5 Jun 2008Gordon Brown is to meet with senior police officers and prosecutors to discuss a tougher approach to knife crime.

Facebook information should be regulated: 5 Jun 2008Nine out of 10 people think there should be tighter regulation of information on social networking websites, according to new research.

New guidance on CRB checks for volunteers: 5 Jun 2008The Cabinet Office has published guidance to help organisations that use volunteers to be clear about when they do and don't need to carry out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on volunteers.

Labour's broken promise fails the young on crime: 4 Jun 2008Labour's strategy for tackling violent youth crime is failing Britain's young people according to a group of former Whitehall advisers and criminal justice experts.

Watching the boys in the bands: 4 Jun 2008Interview with John Pitts who has been studying gangs and youth crime for more than a decade.

Leave them kids alone: 4 Jun 2008Comment piece on the government's youth alcohol plan that suggests that the government has over-reacted to the problem of young people drinking.

Giving unhappy children a chance to xl: 3 Jun 2008As the government examines alternatives to pupil referral units (PRUs), this article uses the xl club, a Prince's Trust programme, as an example of the type of initiative the government could turn to.

Faithbook launched on Facebook: 3 Jun 2008The social networking site Facebook is to host a new tool organised by a multifaith initiative which aims to combat extremism and improve relations between religious communities.

Most people happy with police: 3 Jun 2008A survey carried out for BBC Radio 5 Live has found that most people (70 per cent) trust the police and think they are doing a good job.

New plan to tackle violent extemism: 3 Jun 2008The Home Office is to reveal plans for a nationawide 'deradicalisation' programme today to tackle people who have been drawn into volent extremism in Britain.

The party's over: 3 Jun 2008Research which has scrutinised data on young people's drinking habits over the past five years has discovered that the number of young people becoming teetotal is increasing.

Campaign to curb alcohol adverts on hold: 3 Jun 2008The government has postponed further curbs on alcohol advertising and cut- price supermarket drink promotions despite acknowledging in the youth alcohol action plan, published yesterday, that drink advertising and price promotions play a key role in shaping young people's attitudes to alcohol.

August bank holiday could be celebration of Britishness: 3 Jun 2008Immigration minister, Liam Byrne, will today set out proposals for the August bank holiday to be turned into a 'Great British weekend' that would allow people permission to celebrate everything they like about the country.

Government launches volunteer strategy consultation: 3 Jun 2008Health Secretary Alan Johnson has launched a six-month consultation to improve support for volunteers in the NHS, social care and third sector, and to encourage more volunteering opportunities.

Key report says Labour has failed on youth crime: 2 Jun 2008Labour's 10-year strategy for tackling youth crime has failed, according to an internal government report.

ASBOs don't work: 2 Jun 2008Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of the Kids Company, gives her opinion on the rise in knife crime among young people and talks about the work of Kids Company in helping troubled young people.

New crackdown on binge drinking by young people: 2 Jun 2008The government is to announce new plans to tackle binge drinking by young people today.

Inquiry calls for day off for volunteers: 2 Jun 2008A report by the Morgan inquiry, a group of cross-party MPs and volunteering experts, has called for the Department for Work and Pensions to recognise volunteering as a legitimate job-seeking activity for those on unemployment benefits and an annual, flexible day off should be given to employees who want to volunteer.