Editorial: There is no magic bullet to halt gang violence
Ravi Chandiramani
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The problem of gang-related knife crime unfortunately shows no sign of abating. It is now wedged firmly into the national consciousness, summing up the feeling of malaise that this government's detractors have branded as "Broken Britain".
Last week, Sir Alan Sugar gave his twopence worth on the problem: "It's like the weather. You know (a teenage stabbing) is going to happen, you just read to find out the details," he bemoaned. "We need to work with hoodies to understand them better, to find out why they've chosen the route they have." Well, if we refrain from defining "them" as "hoodies", we might start to build that understanding, Sir Alan.
It is to his credit that London's new Mayor, Boris Johnson, has installed a deputy mayor for young people. Ray Lewis, founder of Eastside Young Leaders' Academy in Newham, has pledged to appoint a "gangs tsar" to stem the tide of gang violence (see p15). Like The Apprentice's lead figure, Lewis is a straight-talking no-nonsense character. The academy claims the strict, disciplinarian style it deploys has diverted the majority of at-risk young people it works with on to the path of academic achievement. Lewis' tough talk on giving children boundaries signals a comeback via the Conservatives of the Respect agenda, which, since the creation of the Department for Children, Schools and Families with its joint responsibility for youth justice, has been quietly sidelined.
It's difficult to argue against Lewis' approach, given his results with young people. But his mustn't, of course, be seen as the only solution, and this is where his denouncement of more "liberal" approaches such as psychotherapy is misguided. Many young people at risk of succumbing to gang violence will respond better to therapeutic intervention. To coin a Blairite mantra, "what counts is what works". Whatever the style of delivery, Lewis is right to view the answer in working with community champions, with who disaffected young people might be able to connect.
As for Sugar, now would be a good time for him to put his money where his mouth is. The work at the Eastside academy has been able to thrive largely thanks to funding from private sector donors. Or he might consider match-funding youth centres promised through the release of unclaimed assets from dormant bank accounts. So arise, Sir Alan, and please make a positive contribution.
