What is Youth Policy?

Assesment 1 - What is youth policy and how does it influence the work of youth workers?
By Ciara Davis

Youth policy is a vital aspect of Australian society, and is constantly being re-written and altered. Policy is defined by the Oxford dictionary as “… A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual”. The term "youth" applies to young people roughly between the ages of 12 and 25 who are beginning, amidst, or towards the end of adolescence (Children and Young People Act, 2008). Youth policy is under the jurisdiction of the government, who control the legislation that affects all young people belonging to Australian society. Youth workers, however, have the chance to assemble research directly from those they work with, and transfer it to the government, in an attempt to shed light on issues that need to be addressed urgently.

This existence of the youth worker is linked to the growing need for professionals who specialized in the needs of young people. This began approximately before the turn of the nineteenth century, as “…the modern state selected children and young people as one of many population groups deserving special policies and particular attention” (Spicker, 2005 pg. 69). This is useful to separate the very differing problems that exist for young people in comparison to adults, or children. However, since youth workers are under the control of government departments, they are expected to follow the protocol that has been arranged by the higher powers in parliament.

“The most important role of government… is the establishment of rules and procedures – a framework for social life” (pg. 72). These words by Bessant et al. (1998) reflect the government’s responsibility in safely and sufficiently governing young people of modern society via youth policy. The government must look at the issues of the present day as they evolve, and change youth legislation accordingly to meet these requirements. The United Nations’ World Youth Report (2005) believes that a needs analysis should be created to ensure youth policy is always relevant, suggesting that we “… make profiles of the development situation of young people in [the] country… as the design of youth policy should aim at ensuring the full enjoyment by young people of all human rights and fundamental freedoms” (pg. 1)

Whilst youth workers are governed by the policies in place, they are at liberty to define the deficiencies in society that effect young people. By gathering research via conducting interviews and evaluating their programs, they can pass information on from the direct source in an attempt to alter the policies if it appears necessary. As stated by the UN World Youth Report (2005), “… it is vital to open a meaningful dialogue with youth on the questions that affect their lives, from the initial planning stages of policy through monitoring and evaluation”, as this “facilitates the creation of a policy that best fits the needs and capacities of youth as a distinct population group, and helps to foster support and understanding of the policy objectives” (pg. 2). This does not mean that their view is first and foremost, and often their research will fall on deaf ears. Spicker (2005) observed that “… modern societies like Australia are state-centric, [therefore] no-one, not even young people, can escape the general net of state regulation and intervention” (pg. 69).

On a level closer to home, youth workers can use the aforementioned research to change what is within their control – the programs they create. The Office for Youth in the Government of South Australia believes it is vital that youth workers evaluate their programs, so that they may “…redefine goals and objectives according to new trends and needs in young people’s lives and according to the achievements and shortcomings of existing programs” (pg. 1). A recent statement from the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition discusses the role of youth workers and the organisations they belong to: “[we] are experts working for and with young people and seek to ensure they have access to mechanisms that allow them to make decisions about issues that affect them, and to contribute to the success of their communities and to the productivity of the nation” (2014 pg. 2). Throughout history, this is proven to be the best method of calculating what needs to be done, and initiating changes that will positively and directly affect the young people of Australian society.

Within the infrastructure of Australian society, youth policy exists to govern today’s young people, and intends to formulate regulations that are suitable to meet the requirements and fill the deficiencies in the system. The power lies with the government, who controls youth policy, however it is vital that the y “… involve and empower all stakeholders right from the beginning in the design, implementation and evaluation of youth policy” (UN World Youth Report, 2005 pg.1). This can be done by listening to the youth workers who are in the field. Using specific research they have accumulated from those who are directly involved, the young people, we can target the issues that are currently existing, instead of the issues whose existence is perceived by the government based on a stereotypical view of how they assume society must be.

Bibliography

Office for Youth in the Government of South Australia http://www.officeforyouth.sa.gov.au/ Accessed March 15th, 2014

Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (2014), “Submission to the Senate Select Committee, Inquiry into School Funding” pg. 2-11 Bessant, T. et al (1998) “Youth Studies, an Australian Perspective” Addison Wesley Longman, South Melbourne, pp. 67-83

Spicker, P 2010. 'Social Policy: Themes and approaches ', Policy Press, University of Bristol, UK. Chapter Five 'Public Policy ' pp. 69-81.

Youth and the United Nations, World youth report 2005 pg. 1-3

Bibliography: Office for Youth in the Government of South Australia http://www.officeforyouth.sa.gov.au/ Accessed March 15th, 2014 Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (2014), “Submission to the Senate Select Committee, Inquiry into School Funding” pg. 2-11 Bessant, T. et al (1998) “Youth Studies, an Australian Perspective” Addison Wesley Longman, South Melbourne, pp. 67-83 Spicker, P 2010. 'Social Policy: Themes and approaches ', Policy Press, University of Bristol, UK. Chapter Five 'Public Policy ' pp. 69-81. Youth and the United Nations, World youth report 2005 pg. 1-3