Tackling violent crime - how young people are part of the solution

Andre’a Accison, who works for Crimestoppers’ youth service Fearless as our West Midlands Outreach Worker, discusses what Fearless is, what her role within Fearless involves and how Fearless contributes to reporting and preventing violent crime.

 



Read about our latest campaign against violent crime, Silence Won’t Stop Violence, and how to speak up to help save lives
 
What Fearless offers is a unique opportunity for young people to have their voice heard, by reporting crime safely without revealing their identify.
 
As a Fearless Outreach Worker, no two days are the same. My role involves delivering workshops to young people and the professionals who work with them across the West Midlands.
 
It’s a challenging yet fulling role, engaging with young people from diverse backgrounds, with different beliefs and attitudes. The biggest reward is when the young people engage positively, showing an eagerness to learn. Sometimes in the space of just one lesson I witness their thought processes change and they see things from a different point of view.

The message is simple: Fearless aims to raise awareness on how to report crime safely by highlighting our unique anonymous reporting service available to young people.
 
I do this by promoting the service at workshops with young people across schools, colleges, Pupil Referral Units and youth clubs, delivering crime-specific sessions to help them to recognise what constitutes a crime and the choices and consequences they are faced with when exposed to criminality.
 
Workshops offer the perfect opportunity for young people to ask questions, share their concerns and allow me to dispel any myths they may have around crime and criminality.

Young people are often criminalised and viewed as the main perpetrators of crime, when, in my experience, they are in fact more often the victims.

Fearless views young people as being part of the solution, creating a platform where young people can make informed decisions and choices based upon new found knowledge.
 
The non-judgemental aspect of Fearless encourages conversations, curiosity and questioning. This is such an important part of my workshop sessions and enables me to clarify any misconceptions young people may have.
 
Anonymity is imperative when taking into consideration the `no snitch’ youth culture, where young people can and do experience serious consequences for doing the right thing. It is evident that some young people encounter a moral dilemma when it comes to reporting crime.
 

I let young people know that Fearless can be part of the solution by providing them with a safe alternative route when faced with crime or criminality.

Find out more about Fearless, and its role in reporting and preventing crime
 
Read about our latest campaign against violent crime, Silence Won’t Stop Violence, and how to speak up to help save lives