The head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) says he believes it is a “really hard time to grow up as a young person” as social media has “completely reshaped the world”.
Jimmy Paul and the team at the SVRU deliver vital layered prevention work across Glasgow, which is enhanced by support from local youth organisations.
While he does feel that social media offers many positives, Jimmy says he is also “massively concerned” over violent imagery and threats being shared online.
He highlighted that young people must be supported to use social media in healthier ways and that this work can be accelerated through partnerships with youth groups.
Jimmy said: “I think it’s a really hard time to grow up as a young person in Scotland, in the world, post Covid.
“We’re living in a post-pandemic society, and those really formative years for young people, how they interact with one another, have completely changed in recent years.
“Social media has completely reshaped the world, and while there are fantastic things about it, there are threats that come with it as well.
“The organising of violence, the sharing of violent imagery, arguments escalating into violence, it’s a massive concern.
“I think we’re living at a time where the financial challenges mean that we’ve seen disinvestment in public services, which means fewer young people are able to access safe spaces and youth work and have their needs met.
“So all of these factors come together and make it a really difficult time to be a child.”
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The SVRU is the centre for expertise on violence in Scotland. It was founded in Glasgow in 2005 when the city was dubbed ‘the murder capital of Europe’ to look at the root causes.
The organisation, which is part of Police Scotland, is able to do this through a variety of methods, including analysing multi-agency data, which includes education, local councils, and the third sector.
Jimmy explained that one of the most important features of prevention is making it easier for young people to make healthier, safer decisions.
He added that this could be achieved through giving them opportunities to gather in safe spaces by investing in youth work.
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Jimmy commented: “We’ve got a good understanding now of what some of the root causes are. We need to help not just young people but all people.
“We need to make it easier for them to make healthier, safer decisions, and that means giving them opportunities to come together in safe spaces through investing in youth work.
“In every single project that we have, working with third sector partners is absolutely central. The reason is that those third-sector partners have already created roots in the communities that they work in.
“They are the ones that are respected by people, parents, schools, and by young people. It’s only through working with them that we will help to advance and enhance the impact that we want to see.
“We are part of Police Scotland, which is great, but sometimes that presents challenges with communities.
“If they feel that the police are coming in, they might think, what are their intentions? We’ve got to make sure that we’re really clear about who we are, but also who we can partner with to have the right conversation.
“So the third sector is and should always be at the very heart of prevention-based community-based work.”
The SVRU is said to be in the process of writing a new strategy as its present one expires this year.
Ahead of this being published, Jimmy noted that there is “lots to be encouraged about” in relation to the data, however “there is work to be done”.
He said: “There’s lots to be encouraged about in relation to the data. You wouldn’t always believe it based on what we see in the media.
“Violence has always been around, and there’s work to be done. I do think sometimes we sensationalise the issue, which creates fear.
“If we are able to talk more positively about some of the solutions or interventions that make a difference or speak in ways that value young people as vital members of society, we’re much more likely to help things to improve.”
The Glasgow Times has launched a series titled Priced Out of Potential? The Fight for Youth Work in Glasgow.
Over the course of this week, we will be examining what funding looks like at a local and national level, speaking to staff about the importance of investing in youth work, and hearing from young people about what it actually means to them.
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