Society must cater for young people’s need to ‘hang out’ as part of growing up

Your report “Calls for crackdown on groups of young people in wake of beach brawls” (27 July) referred to a call by a councillor for police to be given the power to move groups of young people off the beach at Portobello to “help prevent any potential trouble”. This followed what the report referred to as fights on the beach the previous Thursday.

In fact, the police already have the capacity under the Antisocial Behaviour Scotland Act 2004 to award themselves such a power in specific circumstances.

First, a senior officer must designate by area and dates where and when the power is to apply. Fair warning must be given by publication in a local newspaper and otherwise in public locally of these details. The designation is valid for a maximum of three months.

In that area the police then have authority to disperse groups of two or more people or individuals within such groups where the presence or behaviour of the person or persons is causing alarm or distress or is likely to cause alarm or distress to any member of the public. In invoking the power, the police officer has to be satisfied that by so doing it is likely to reduce the alarm or distress. Note the reference to “two or more people”.

This is an extremely wide power and in itself a negative response to an issue requiring positive responses, though it has its value when used well.

Time and again, however, we see references in police reports to calls requiring or requesting their attendance with regard to young people “causing a nuisance” or “youths congregating” in public places. Sometimes there may be reasonable grounds for “alarm or distress” on the part of the caller, sometimes not. There is no such requirement in the 2004 Act for “reasonable grounds” for “antisocial behaviour” to have been made out.

This is where the long-term problems begin. Where are these young people to be dispersed to? Somewhere else, to be noticed by someone else who makes another call?

A few years ago, Thames Valley Police published Youth Shelters and Sports Systems: A good practice guide by Roger Hampshire and Mark Wilkinson.

It pointed out that “hanging out” is “part of the natural process of growing up, an intermediate stage between childhood and adulthood”.

The experience of the authors was that often young people just wanted somewhere safe of their own to meet and talk, with seating and shelter from the weather, a covered structure designed to meet their social needs. These work best when sited by some form of activity resource –a skateboard park or much less expensive such as a basketball or triple pull-up stand – and planned with the involvement of young people in their placing and decoration, and above all when they are encouraged to look after the structure with such features as a litter bin and regular visits from community police.

Time and again these have been shown to be effective in reducing antisocial behaviour and vandalism in their locality. Apart from Thames Valley Police, several other sources of guidelines have been produced stressing the importance of consultation and follow-up.

BILL MACDONALD Harmony Court, Bonnyrigg

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