Ain't Misbehaving

Paul Cambridge and Vronni Ward report on a project using utilisation focused evaluation to look at the perceived problem of young people hanging about in public spaces

It is a scenario played out in virtually every town in the county. Groups of youths hanging around in town centres; older people feeling uncomfortable and intimidated. In some places responses are punitive, with the imposition of ASBOs and curfews, but in Maidstone a different attempt is being made to tackle the problem. An evaluation examining this perceived problem was recently undertaken. What made this project unusual was that it was designed to encourage the participation of the young people themselves and empower them and the other parties involved to take control of, manage and resolve the conflict.

In Maidstone the problem of young people congregating in the town centre has been defined through a history of confrontation between the various parties, including the Town Centre Management, Age Concern, the Youth forum and the local newspapers that regularly run negative articles and letters of complaint about young people. The perceived problem centres on an area of the High Street - a natural location for young people to gather after school, due to its proximity to shops and bus stops. The ‘Hanging About’ project was an evaluation project led by the Maidstone Youth Forum in conjunction with the University of Kent to seek possible solutions stemming from young people gathering in a public space. A steering group was set up for the evaluation and the interested parties invited/represented included Age Concern and the older people concerned, Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County Council (youth services), the Safer Maidstone Partnership, Kent Police and the Maidstone Town Centre Management.

The University provided advice and guidance, helping to define the problem, set up a steering group, gather evidence and report back to Maidstone Council. It was also critical to have a local person ‘on the ground’ to help facilitate the various meeting and groups and share responsibilities for data collection and as a youth officer with Maidstone Council, Vronni Ward was able to take on this role.

The approach adopted is called utilisation focused evaluation, which is in many ways similar to other models of applied research in that it seeks to ensure that the findings can be used to help find solutions to a problem or question. It has some similarities to action and participative research in that it seeks to empower participants to take control of the research process and lead to outcomes of use for informing and managing effective change. In this case the objectives spanned conflict resolution and the shared ownership of solutions, alongside empowerment and skills development for members of the Youth Forum and the participation of and consultation with, older people:

- Skills development for the young people helping lead the research;
- The management and resolution of a perceived or real problem existing locally;
- The potential transfer of findings help respond to similar problems experienced elsewhere;
- Help bridge the young – old age divide in views and experiences, with both groups getting to meet and know more about each other;
- Help engage young people from a variety of backgrounds;
- Give a voice to both young and older people;
- To influence decision-making and public opinion in the town.

Utilisation focused evaluation seeks to identify a series of research questions which are then assessed to check whether or not the answers are already known and if they are in fact answerable. Next, the most effective methods of data collection are decided upon and the information is collected. The steering group then helps interpret the data and develop evidence based but culturally relevant and realistic solutions. Due to the various interests represented it can also play a key role in the evaluation process by helping to find solutions to any practical difficulties that may be encountered during the evaluation.

In this project members of the Youth Forum led the data collection process through interviews with ‘passers-by’ and by distributing questionnaires to retail outlets, the Town Centre Management encouraged retail outlets to complete questionnaires and Age Concern was able to elicit the views of its members. As important, the evaluator and co-ordinator brought together these various interests through the steering group and various focus groups.
The key elements and stages to the evaluation were as follows:

- The establishment and meeting of a ‘steering group’ representing all stakeholders (advising throughout the process)
- A focus group / workshop of young people
- A focus group / workshop of older people
- Video interviews a range of younger people
- Questionnaire / interviews with ‘passers-by’
- A questionnaire to retail outlets
- Analysis and writing up of the research, together with suggested solutions and ways forward

Most of the research questions concerned the nature and extent of the perceived problem and were developed from the issues identified by the initial steering group meetings. These included the types of behaviours seen to be associated with the problem, contributory factors such as the street layout and the presence of bus stops and telephone kiosks, other considerations such as wider activities and opportunities for young people, responsibilities such as those of schools and parents and perceived solutions. These were then built into the questionnaires, interview schedules and focus group schedules.

Questionnaires were distributed to a total of sixteen retail outlets in the area. Five were returned, representing a response rate of 31%. One hundred interviews were conducted with passers-by and were analysed across three age groups - 33 for older people aged 60 or over, 33 for the group aged between 21 and 59 inclusive and 34 for younger people aged 20 or under. Video interviews were also undertaken by the younger people themselves and were subsequently used by the Youth Forum as part of the reporting and dissemination phase of the evaluation. Information generated by the focus group meetings was recorded and thematically analysed.

The findings support the view that the phenomenon of young people gathering in the High Street did cause perceived problems and some difficulties for passers by and retail outlets. However, there was no evidence to suggest this was malicious or deliberate on the part of the young people themselves. There was also no evidence to suggest criminal activity of any kind was associated with this phenomenon - the police had monitored the situation in the past and felt their presence was not required.

In short the evidence appears to fit the hypothesis that this phenomenon is caused mainly by the desire for young people to meet and socialise after school. This is however experienced and perceived by some as a problem, because of the sheer volume of people involved and the narrowness of the streets where this happens. Secondary factors appear to be the concentration of schools in the area and the location of bus stops. Relocating the bus stops or telephone kiosks were suggested as possible answers, but cost factors are likely to prohibit such interventions. Similarly, picking up young people at schools was mentioned but this would remove the social opportunities and exchange gained from meeting up.

The conclusions of the study were linked to possible action and the principle that both older and younger people, as marginalized groups, should not be excluded from developing their own solutions. Having somewhere else for the young people to meet might help with some of the problems experienced. Possibilities included a shop front of café in the town. However, it was also recognised that a more formal venue might not serve the social function needed. The findings also suggested the need manage the behaviour of the young people, with the most feasible solution being the schools or representatives of the young people themselves. The need to allocate space for passers-by was also identified, rather then requiring the young people to use designated space. Longer term, it was felt important to improve communication between older and younger people, which could include setting up a joint steering group to monitor the situation and any review the success of any actions taken.

The evaluation model and process raised a number of considerations for those wishing to undertake similar development work. First, the use of a multi-interest steering group proved a successful mechanism for managing the project and in itself helped to bring the parties closer together and help diffuse the situation. Secondly, it was helpful to have an independent advisor from outside the locality to provide a level of objectivity. Thirdly, it proved essential to have someone on the ground to co-ordinate the project and also to have a committed youth worker involved who would help support and encourage the young people themselves. The approach proved successful in identifying a number of parallel solutions, finding ways to bring younger and older people together and made an impact on all involved, including local councillors. Perceptions of young and old are beginning to improve and a number of practical solutions are being followed-up.

Paul Cambridge is a Senior Lecturer at the Tizard Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury. Contact: P.Cambridge@kent.ac.uk

Vronni Ward is the Youth Forum Support Officer, Maidstone Borough Council. Contact vronniward@maidstone.gov.uk

The Hanging About Evaluation: Project Report, Canterbury, Tizard Centre, University of Kent, is available on request from Vronni Ward, Maidstone Council. Edited - S. Simanowitztop