POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 129 6.4 Youth Participation Most respondents recognized the importance of including young persons in the development and implementation of responses to youth violence. After all, they are the primary focus of concern. Yet, achieving effective youth participation can be a challenge. Many community committees, organizations and agencies that become involved in youth violence issues fail to involve young people from the start. This can create difficulties when young persons are asked to participate "after the fact", since committee structures and objectives may already be determined. This can create an awkward situation for all. Again, consider which youth networks or youth organizations exist in your community. They may facilitate effective youth participation. Recognize the transient nature of adolescence in your plans to include young people. Note the organizational means through which young people are comfortable in pursuing, planning and implementing strategies. Consider the following questions in establishing a partnership with the young people in your community. • How do you find the young people who wish to participate? • How do you ensure that the appropriate mix of young people is included? • Are resources available, such as money for bus fare, to enable young people to participate? • What role do you expect the young people to play? • Will young people have an opportunity to discuss the issues among themselves? • How can you ensure long-term involvement of youth given the transitory nature of adolescence? • Does the process used by adults, such as rules of order and the need to speak before large groups limit the ability of youth to fully participate? 6.5 Recognize the Challenges to Effective Mobilization There are various barriers which can inhibit or distort the community-mobilization process. They are often specific to the community and those involved. It is important for your group to anticipate potential challenges, recognize them, and adopt measures to effectively address them. Some of the challenges noted in our review are outlined below. LACK OF COMMITMENT OF PARTICIPANTS The initial roles and responsibilities the group adopts will determine, in part, what commitment is required. Commitment of staff and resources should be taken into account at the initial stage of development of the community process. Are partners prepared to provide time for the tasks? Who will be responsible for coordinating the community initiative? Who will assume responsibility for the costs of support services, such as preparing and distributing minutes and providing meeting rooms? Are partners prepared to provide the required agency follow-up to the community initiative? SENSITIVITY TO PARTICIPANTS The experience, expectations and capabilities of partners should be recognized and respected in developing a communitymobilization process. The community-mobilization process you will pursue should be examined by all of the partners, to ensure that they can participate effectively. How will the process accommodate the specific perspectives and interests of groups concerned with certain aspects of youth violence, such as those concerned with violence against women? How are the professional attitudes and perspectives of various partners to be acknowledged? How will the community-mobilization process accommodate both professional and nonprofessional experiences? There can be tensions in a new group given differences in agency cultures, histories and ways of doing things. How will the community mobilization process recognize and address the concerns of those responsible for programs responding to various aspects of youth violence, especially if they may now be challenged? Organizations may be concerned that collaboration could result in resource tradeoffs, pitting one agency against another. Should available community resources be allocated to youth recreation or the purchase of high tech intelligence equipment for the police? How can the community mobilization process encourage equal opportunity for effective participation among both larger and smaller agencies, community group leaders and others? Some organizations and professionals such as businesses may not see themselves as key players in dealing with youth violence. They may need support in linking their interests to the wider community agenda. How does the communitymobilization process encourage participation and informationsharing among partners and their constituents? UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS Ensure that partners examine what they and the community expect from the community mobilization process. Unrealistic expectations can be dangerous. Are organizations participating as a means of gaining support for new program resources which are not currently available? Is participation based on a desire to take over others' turf with or without community support? Are partners realistic about what can be achieved within their community - diminishing the incidence of violence, redressing the social and economic status of families, curbing behaviours leading to violence, such as family dysfunction and substance abuse, and so on? There may also be strong differences of opinion about which program responses are most effective. For example, do opportunity-reduction programs simply move the problem from one community to another? How effective are law enforcement or social strategies in preventing crime? continued...
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