THE VOICE - Lock-up won't stop violence

HE WAS praised by 'Mr Nasty' himself for doing something positive with his life. But Simon Cowell's warm words are ringing a little hollow after 18-year-old Reece Davis-James was arrested for stealing a £150 stereo during the recent UK riots.

The talented street dancer had wowed judges on Britain's Got Talent earlier this year as part of the dance group Abyss. Now he is facing a jail sentence after "getting caught up in the hype" when looting and violence broke out in cities from London to Manchester last month.

But instead of shunning him and kicking him out of the group, his fellow dancers have given the teenager from Croydon, south London, a second chance after he apologised for letting teammates down.

Davis-James has also agreed to engage in a scheme founded by 24-year-old youth worker Emeka Egbuono from Hackney who has spent the last four years working with young people.

The 'Consequences' programme aims to change lives by not just dictating to young people what not to do, but working with them so they make the right choices for the right reasons.

Egbuono grew up in Hoxton, east London, now a favourite haunt for the capital's trendy crowd. He admits he got sucked into clashing with young men from rival areas.

He witnessed first-hand what he described as a "culture of reputation" in which young men earn their stripes through violence. "The more things you do, the more people know your name, and you command more respect" he recalled.

But returning to his old neighbourhood after university, he was dismayed to find a younger generation still repeating these destructive ways of behaviour. He then decided to throw himself into creating a workshop to break the vicious cycle.

"We say to young people don't mess with guns, don't do drugs, don't pick up knives, but do we ever ask them to take a hard look at why?" he says. "My programme starts with breaking down what ambition means and ask them what they want for themselves. Then we identify long-term targets, the barriers to getting there and how to get past them. I hear the same things over and over again: broken homes, peer pressure, stereotypes about the police and the stereotypes within our own communities."

Model to emulate

The biggest problem, said Egbuono, who also works for the Hackney-based charity Crib Youth Project, is making the seemingly impossible more achievable: "In Hackney, the young people see the city lawyers driving nice cars, but they can't imagine how they make money. Their lives are like another world. We are supposed to be a multicultural city, but sometimes it seems our differences separate us more than they unite. On their estate, however, they see 24-year-olds driving BMWs and they know exactly how the guys driving them made their money. That's a model they can emulate. We have to educate them to make better choices. You might not be academic, you might not go to 'uni', but there are other ways to be successful."

Egbuono's approach could not be further from a contentious project currently being piloted in London schools with children as young as nine.

As part of the Growing 'Against Gangs and Violence' project founded by Nick Mason, surgeons and police officers are sharing the gruesome reality of gun and knife violence. The young people are being told what it's like to tell a parent their child has been knifed to death, what it is like to be stabbed and even how stab victims end up being hooked up to colostomy bags.

It is currently being run in 55 schools across five London boroughs but could spread to 280 schools in the areas where youth violence is most prevalent.

"I'm not a fan of scare tactics. I believe in changing mindsets" said Emeka "Heavy policing and long sentences don't work - it just fills up the prisons and is not tackling the actual issue. I'd much rather hear a young person say "I don't want to commit a crime because I know what I want to achieve." It means his priorities have changed and what we have been teaching has finally come through."

Egbuono has written a book called Consequences - Breaking the Negative Cycle, inspired by a recent trip to Los Angeles, a city known for violent gang activity.

While there, he spent time in prisons talking to reformed gangsters and those still in the game. The book shares his findings and can be used as a resource for young people, parents or policy-makers.

"I believe there is a lot to be learnt from my book. The majority of the young people I work with are good young people, but this fight is not just about helping those who have lost their way, but keeping those positive young people on the right track. All it can take is one mistake, or one bad apple, to change someone."

He relates how one young man whose grades began to slip became increasingly aggressive after becoming the victim of a random attack.

"I don't believe in giving up on people or quick fixes. Often the first place things go wrong is when disruptive young people are socially excluded in schools. It sends a message that we don't care. Of course, the majority does count for more than one individual but we have to engage them and encourage them to finish their education. Chucking them out of school is a quick fix, just sweeping them under the carpet. If we don't help them then, they will only become a bigger problem later on."

Egbuono added: "I am tired of the blame culture with the government, young people, police, parents and teachers all pointing the finger at each other. I know of two young brothers of a similar age who grew up in the same two-parent home with the same moral values being instilled. One is deep in the gang culture and the other aspired to do something great. If you met one, you might get the impression that he has terrible parents but that's simply not the case. So, obviously, there are variables outside the home. The government can do more but money alone won't solve the problem. We, all of us, can all do more. We all know what the problem is, so now is the time to stop talking and implement solutions."

For more information about the Consequences programme and book visit http://consequencesforyouth.wordpress. co.uk. The book is available on Amazon.co.uk from September 23.