Answer

Young people often feel excluded from neighbourhood decision making, seeing other groups as making the decisions and holding all the power. This exclusion is often much worse among young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods (rural or urban)as they generally experience worse services than more affluent neighbourhoods.

Nevertheless, young people have a right, as equals in a community, to express views and interests not only on specific young people's issues but also on concerns about wider community issues. Surveys need to ensurie that the views, concerns and opinions of young people are heard as equal partners in the decision making forums at every level so that they feel that they are "stakeholders" too.

If communities are looking to fund youth projects they will need to consult young people and not say they already know what young people want (apparently this can be something of a problem in rural parish councils at the moment). This is what funders and local authorities are increasingly demanding. Young people also should be involved in the design and implementation of surveys and the running of any subsequent projects as much as possible.

METHODS

Since presenting young people with a detailed questionnaire to fill in may elicit little or no response and maybe even outright derision, thought needs to be given on how to engage young people. Use of a wide variety of innovative methods of involvement might include:

- going out to the groups instead of expecting them to come to you focus groups

- questionnaires presented in small seminars

- use of multi media(film-making, IT, music, digital cameras)

- to elicit feedback online blog/message board or responses elicited by texting

- carrying out projects in schools (see Planning for Real process http://www.communityplanning.net/methods/method100.htm)

CASE STUDIES:

Glasgow Youth Survey The City Council along with Strathclyde Police and Glasgow Alliance, commissioned MORI Scotland to conduct the Glasgow Youth Survey. Over 1,500 young people aged between 11-18 completed the survey. Specific topics covered include:

-perception of the area young people live in

-suggested improvements for their local area

-what they do in their spare time -relative level of freedom they have

-aspirations and future plans -images of young people -perception of the police

-experience and thoughts on crime and punishment

Full survey can be found at: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/36479108-9262-4E7C-82B8-B2F3022387EA/0/youthsurvey.pdf

Young people in London and the Police: Youth Survey: http://www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/youth/survey.htm

Dover Youth Survey - questions and results: http://www.dover.gov.uk/youth/youthsurvey2006.pdf

South Derbyshire Leisure Needs Survey: http://www.south-derbys.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F482C40C-DE65-48F1-94AB-D7DE6417A4E6/0/YouthSurveyTopLineResults2.pdf

East Devon Youth Survey - methodology and results: http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/txt/east_devon_youth_survey_-_phase_2_axe_valley_2006.pdf

BACKGROUND:

Research into the issues affecting young people from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation: http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/432.asp

Youth Engagement Case Studies from I&DeA: http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=1133538

Global Youth Survey: http://www.ndhs-sites.org.uk/communicty/survey/index.htm

Young People and Regeneration Case Studies: http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/page.asp?id=1663