Last updated 14:12, Sunday, 18 May 2008

I AM A 14-year-old girl directly affected by the Cockermouth’s new dispersal order. I want to provide an element of balance to the article about it (Times & Star, May 9) by giving a young person’s perspective.

First and foremost, a fundamental inaccuracy; it was stated that gangs of youths will not be allowed to gather in Cockermouth town centre.

This is incorrect. The dispersal order is designed only to give police the power to move on groups composed of individuals of any age who are taking part in anti social behaviour.

It does not provide police with the power to move on a group without actual evidence of wrongdoing, and is aimed at people behaving anti socially, entirely indiscriminate of age.

I am not for one minute suggesting that anti social behaviour is not a growing problem, but surely it is the minority of the young population who are causing the trouble and who need to be targeted, using individually tailored constraining orders such as ASBOs?

The constant demonisation of young people by the press and some members of the public does in no way solve the problem of anti social behaviour; it only worsens already endemic prejudices.

I have experienced this first hand: being watched in local shops, as if being between the ages of 13 and 18 means that I am likely to steal something, or being glared at by passing shoppers for standing outside Sainsbury’s, not blocking the doorway or making too much noise.

Many of us have been made to feel unwelcome in our own town, and I believe the poor, overly suspicious attitudes of some people are a problem that need to be tackled alongside anti social behaviour.

Young people’s rights in the dispersal zone are identical to those of any other member of the public; they entirely depend on personal conduct.

We are not the public enemy; people seem to forget that we are, in fact, fully entitled members of the community. 

CLAIRE DUMBIL
Bridekirk
Cockermouth