Youth of the UK

The young are the future. But young people suffer higher rates in unemployment, injustice and violence than all other groups in their society.

Especially deprived neighbourhoods of former industrial cities within the UK had huge problems with drug abuse, gang fights and teenage pregnancies at a disproportionately high level compared to the rest of Europe.

Several government programms improved the situation within the last ten years and both offences committed by 16-17s and alcohol and drug taking of 16-24s dropped. But unemployment and the related lack of perspectives remain a big issue. Young people are nearly three times more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the population – in Northern Ireland and Scotland even more. It has clearly emerged as one of the main reasons for sliding into delinquency. In 2011 youth surveys analyzed that around 2-7% of young people aged between 10 and 19 years

report being a gang member. This small group have a disproportionate impact on the communities around them.

The UK Brexit decision at the 2016 EU referendum will have significant economic, social, political and cultural consequences and none more so than for the futures of these young people. Northern Ireland and Scotland will have to leave the European

Union due to the referendum although a majority of its citizens voted to remain. In Northern Ireland Protestant Loyalists predominantly support the decision whereas Catholic Irish Republicans mainly refuse it. There is a serious concern that for example a hard border between the Republic of Ireland as a member of the European Union and Northern Ireland as part of the UK is very likely to undermine and threaten the Peace Process. In Scotland the National Party is seeking a new independence referendum as they do not want to leave for the European Union. Future prospects of the young generation could be impacted negatively if old conflicts recur again.

I have been working on this series since 2005 and could see changes, political efforts and some developments but also personal and sociopolitical failing.