Young People and Interfaces Report - Institute for Conflict Research

YOUNG PEOPLE AND INTERFACES
findings with a view to them putting forward their own ideas on how they could be more included in
dialogue and consultation around interface issues.
The purpose of the initial focus group discussions was to explore what life is like for young people
living in interface areas. In particular we sought to assess attitudes to living in their local area,
perceptions of safety and the role of barriers in terms of providing security, views on any impacts
that living at an interface may have on their daily lives, and thoughts as to what needs to happen in
the future with regards to developing interface areas.
During the course of the research, where possible focus groups were organised in relatively small
groups of young people (between 5-8 persons) to facilitate conversations where all of the young
participants felt comfortable becoming involved. One focus group however was mixed and
consisted of more than 10 young Protestants and Catholics, male and female. It became apparent
in this group that the most assertive or dominant voices were those of young Catholic males, and
in particular young Protestant females were reticent to be drawn into the conversation. In this
instance the young females in question had to be gently encouraged to give their opinion when
they felt comfortable in doing so.
This firstly highlights the power dynamics that can underpin structured discussions and also
indicates that in terms of numbers engaging in focus groups, smaller groups often lead to more indepth
and better quality discussion. It also indicates that gender, age, community background and
individual confidence can all impact upon a young person’s participation in discussion, and it is
worth bearing this in mind in particular when either mixed focus groups of Catholics and
Protestants or young males and females are being organised. A few dominant voices prevalent
amongst one gender or community background can make others less comfortable about speaking
openly.
This small research project has attempted to draw upon the approach utilised by the ‘new
sociology of childhood’ which views children and young people as competent actors in their own
right (Leonard 2006a: 228; James and Prout 1990). Referring to young people as the ‘future’ can at
times ignore their role in the present, and dismisses their views as only potentially and not actually
relevant to the contemporary situation (Smyth and Scott 2000: 113). As such young people are
often either ‘demonised’ or portrayed as ‘victims’ without agency, 6 perhaps most visibly so by the
media (Andersson and Lundstrom 2007). 7 In the Northern Irish context, such negative associations
which often associate young people and violence were very evident during the television coverage
of the riots at the Lower Newtownards Road/Short Strand interface in June 2011.
There has been a plethora of research conducted on issues impacting upon residents in interface
areas, and those studies which have focused on young people have tended to specifically focus on
the relationship between interface areas, young people and violence (Jarman and O’Halloran
2000; 2001; Byrne et al. 2005; Hansson 2005). While not shying away from engaging with these
issues, this process aimed to be slightly more open-ended and hopes to shed some light on the
views of a limited number of young people on what life is like for them growing up in interface
areas in 2012.
6 A Youthnet consultation response in April 2011 to the proposed community safety strategy talks of young people still being talked about as if a ‘problem
to be solved’. The document argues that where this negative stereotyping remains in place it will have an adverse impact on children and young people
in terms of ‘criminalisation’ and unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system. The response is available online at
http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/public-consultations/archive-consultations/consultation_on_a_new_community_safety_strategy_for_ni/youthnet.pdf
Accessed 28th March 2012.
7 See, Andersson, G., and Lundstrom, T. ‘Teenagers as Victims in the Press’. In, Children and Society, Volume 21 (2007) pp. 175–188.
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