Under-18s can also have a night on the town

But if given the choice, young people would much prefer to be at an organised event and given the chance to socialise in a safe environment. This could be so easily achieved if we ask young people to get involved in creating relevant and attractive alternatives. Under-18s club nights and discos have proven to be a great way of bringing together young people from all social backgrounds in various parts of the country. While giving young people a chance to have fun and socialise with others their own age, they also help young people to develop important social skills.

There are already various under-18s discos in existence around the country. One example is Snap Disco in Maidstone. The disco was set up to help prevent crime and in recognition of the need for more positive activities for young people. Snap stands for Say No and Phone and the nights provide a safe environment for young people aged between 11 and 17 to enjoy live music acts and meet friends. Snap Disco has now been running for 10 years and is run under the "say no" to drugs and drink campaign. A strict no alcohol or drugs rule is promoted and enforced at each event. The disco also has a very close involvement with the local schools, some of which sell tickets for it in support of the good it does for young people in the community.

Another example of a popular teenage club night is the Albany in Deptford, south east London. The scheme came from the first young mayor of Lewisham, a young person elected by young people to represent them in the borough. The events at the Albany run about once a month from seven until 11. The tickets are affordable for young people at £5 each, which helps to fund the events and they also operate a strict no drink or drugs policy. The events cater for a wide range of tastes, playing a range of music from DJs to live bands from a large number of different genres to ensure that it appeals to a wide cross section of young people from the community.

Activities which are set up by young people are far more likely to be successful. Under-18s discos are a great way to bring young people from all backgrounds together through music but must be driven by young people who know what will attract their peers. I hope to see more of them being set up so that more bored young people can have something relevant, safe and exciting to look forward to.

- Anne Longfield is chief executive of 4Children. Email anne.longfield@haymarket.com.