Consultations with youth workers
The aims of the consultation with Youth Workers were to:
- gauge youth workers' thoughts about sectarianism
- identify what skills and resources youth workers require to raise the issue of sectarianism with young people.
Key issues arising from the consultation with youth workers
The meaning of sectarianism
There was a strong feeling that territorialism is a bigger problem than sectarianism. It was suggested that a young person's identity is linked to their area, not their religion. Territorialism and the violence that is associated with it is a serious issue for youth workers. One said 'You see gradations in the level of violence, around the ages of eleven and twelve, they're throwing stones, by the ages of thirteen and fourteen, they are kicking people in, by the ages of fifteen and sixteen, they have got knives, and by the ages of seventeen and eighteen it's full scale violence.'
Fashion also contributes to a young person's sense of identity and so people wear football strips or colours because their identity is linked with football clubs.
Children learn at a young age that some people have a different religion and are treated differently; this then allows rumours and myths to breed.
Content of the resource
The youth workers agreed that the site should be 'bright and funky' with lots of games and activities to make the site appealing to young people.
The youth workers suggested that the website should include training / activities to instruct the youth workers on how to use the resource and to challenge their personal attitudes. This would help them to prepare for raising the issue with young people. The youth workers also suggested that it would be useful to offer guidance on how to establish charters which outline a positive ethos for working. This could include a commitment to anti-sectarianism.
There was also a suggestion that information about slang and sectarian language should be included on the site, so that they are able to explain why it is unacceptable. The youth workers could see the argument for leaving out slang but felt that addressing sectarian language is something that youth workers want to challenge because it is a real street issue.
The activities on the site should be appropriate for children as young as four years old.
One person suggested that the resource should re-examine provision in the school curriculum for Scottish history teaching because 'You can't become tolerant and have a wider understanding if you don't understand yourself and your own people / history.'
Format of resource
In youth and community centres, access to the internet is not always available. Youth workers suggested that a paper pack should be made available them.
Conclusions
- Overall, the youth workers welcomed the idea of a resource dealing with sectarianism. Territorialism is also an issue that youth workers need to address but they have limited access to information and resources on this issue.
- Activities for youth workers should include active games and discussion topics, role plays etc. for small group work. These should be for a wide age range, 4-18yrs.
- The site should be bright and colourful and appealing to young people.
- The site should be made available in hard copy paper or CD / DVD to youth workers / community centres.