Young people commit crimes because they have nothing to do

Posted on: 17th June 2024 | 1 min

Teenagers believe young people commit crimes because they have nothing to do and nowhere to go, according to new research by MORI. The survey, commissioned by NestlŠ¹ and the Kids Clubs Network, found that among 11-16 year olds, seven in 10 believe a lack of facilities and things to do leads young people to commit crimes.

Key findings from the research include:

  • six in 10 young people, and eight in 10 parents, think there is not enough for young people to do in the area where they live
  • seven in 10 parents believe young people commit crime because they have nothing to do and nowhere to go
  • at some point, one in two parents do not know exactly where their teenage children are, who they are with, or what they are doing
  • four in 10 young people think it is not safe for them to do what they want after school
  • the research also showed that eight in 10 young people would be interested in going to a new type of place proposed by Make Space, and nine in 10 parents would be interested in their child going to such a place
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