TEEN TROUBLE

ACTIVITIES

Guidance

These activities support a variety of individual, paired and group work and can be chosen and adapted to suit the needs of the students involved.

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The media and teenagers

Before viewing, ask pupils to collect examples of the way teenagers are portrayed in the media, both negatively and positively. Use these items, and the programme, as a basis for a discussion on how the media shapes the public's views of certain groups of people. Ask pupils to identify other groups of people that are demonised by the media. What effect does negative stereotyping have on a) those who are stereotyped and b) those who believe that the stereotypes are true? What are the arguments for and against giving the Government greater power to control the media?

Draw up a treaty

Clip: 31.15 – 37.04

• In (narrator): 'It's been six weeks since my visit to Swindon.'
• Out (narrator): '…things are definitely looking up in Swindon.'

View this section of the programme where the teenagers and adults in Swindon draw up a treaty to help improve their relationship. Ask pupils to imagine a community where adults and teens are at loggerheads, then brainstorm the topics that would need to be covered in a similar treaty. From the list they produce, ask them to draft a treaty that would help both sides to understand and communicate with each other more effectively.

How big is the problem?

Before viewing, ask pupils to estimate what percentage of known criminal offenders is aged under 18. How close did they come to the correct figure (12%)? In groups, ask pupils to discuss what are the problems facing teenagers in today's society? Do they understand why adults are sometimes suspicious or afraid when they see groups of teenagers? Do they think the PR exercise in the film helped to change attitudes towards teens? Is there anything teenagers could do to help improve public opinion?

Does punishment make a difference?

Ask pupils to research criticisms of ASBOs and teenage imprisonment, using websites in Find out more. Use their findings as the focus to discuss the pros and cons of using ASBOs and even prison to punish teenage offenders. Do they think these punishments are likely to reduce the levels of teenage crime? What are their reasons? Ask them to think of better ways to tackle teenage misbehaviour.