Social media related to violence by young people, say

experts
Youth workers are ill equipped to prevent online arguments by pupils and gangs
escalating to violence, say criminologists

Sarah Marsh
@sloumarsh
Mon 2 Apr 2018 23.55 BST

Youth workers should be given training sessions on the link between social media and
violence, experts have told the Guardian, amid warnings that gangs are increasingly
using social media sites to taunt each other.

5Criminology lecturer and youth worker Craig Pinkney, who runs one-day courses in
the UK and internationally for people who work with young people, including youth
workers, social workers and teachers, says the government needs to modernise its
approach.

“The government should consider funding programmes that educate youth workers in
10social media because lots of people are still using the same ideas they did in 2001 and
2005 and they are presenting them in 2017, when the scope has changed,” Pinkney
told the Guardian. “If there is a fight outside school now, for example, the chances are
that social media has been involved and we help professionals understand that,” he
said.

15Earlier this week, the Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, blamed
social media for playing a part in youth violence. She told the Times that social media
sites “rev people up” and trivial disputes could escalate into violence “within
minutes” when rivals set out to goad each other on the internet.

(...)

20Dr Simon Harding, a senior lecturer in criminology at Middlesex University, said:

“We started noticing gangs using social media four years ago and since then [the
numbers using it] have doubled every year … it’s hard to quantify that because there
are no statistics or research, but every street gang I am familiar with now has an
online presence,” he said. “Young people are completely immersed in this world …
25so it is a logical progression that gang activity takes place online.”
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/apr/02/social-media-violence-young-people-
gangs-say-experts

Exercises

1. Match the underlined words in the text with the adequate meaning.
a) To make someone become more active _________________
b) Without the ability, quality or equipment to do something ___________
c) A way of doing something _______________
d) To intentionally annoy or upset someone ________________
e) In the middle of / surrounded by _______________
f) To make someone react by continuously annoying or upsetting them ______

2. Find the words or expressions replaced by the following pronouns.

a) who (line 4) _________________
b) its (line 6) _________________
c) they (line 9) __________________
d) She (line 15) ___________________
e) that (line 21) __________________

Connectors of purpose (revision)

1. Complete the following sentences with an adequate connector of purpose.

a) The government should create programmes _________________ avoid
violence amid young people.
b) Gangs started using social media ________________ they could reach more
people.
c) Experts are studying the issue _______________ find solutions.
d) Training sessions will be given _______________ youth workers can
understand the link between social media and violence.
e) Social media must be kept under surveillance _______________ keep
everyone safe.