Building Safer Communities through Community Development

1. Building Safer Communities throughCommunity Development Jon Bannister Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research

2. Building Safer Communities Community Safety can be defined as an endeavour to ensure that: “People are safe from crime, disorder, danger, and free from injury and harm; communities are socially cohesive and tolerant; and, are resilient and able to support individuals to take responsibility for their well-being.”

3. Building Safer Communities Youth disorder • The disproportionate blaming of youth: children as animals and vermin (perception). • Youth-on-youth violence (reality).

4. Building Safer Communities Fracturing communities and rising intolerance • Individualism and difference. • Economic uncertainty and deprivation. • Segregated, distrustful and demanding personal respect.

5. Building Safer Communities Fracturing communities and rising intolerance • Tolerance as virtue and policy value. But, policy delivery: • It’s ‘them’ not ‘us’ (fragmentation). • ASB and Respect agendas (intolerance).

6. Building Safer Communities Segregation and respect, fragmentation and intolerance, fuelling youth disorder • Stereotyping youth, youth as a symbol of decline. • Violence.

7. Building Safer Communities • Tolerant and cohesive communities. • Tolerance based on mutual respect requiring active engagement. • Sharing, coping, understanding and changing. • Building Safer Communities through Community Development