Segregated Britain: a society in conflict with its 'radicalised' youth?

Much recent government and media focus has drawn attention to the ‘problem’ of youth and their association with acts of violence in modern Britain. The perceived problem of youth violence has served to create a new ‘moral panic’ and ‘social threat’. This has encouraged some commentators to portray British society to be ‘under siege’ by ‘out of control’ young people. This paper explores the ‘dialectic’ relationship between ‘global’ and ‘local’ structures and how recent developments at each level have contributed to increased sense of alienation and radicalisation of young people in an increasingly segregated and ‘conflict’ Britain. Issues of ideological differences and community tensions will be explored as contributing factors to the perceived escalation of conflict. Building on experiences and practices gained through thirty years of conflict in Northern Ireland this paper argues that youth work must enter into the community ‘struggle’ for the ‘hearts and minds’ of young people.