The government of youth: Disorder and dependence?

This article is concerned with the Crime and Disorder Act, introduced by th e Labour government in England & Wales. The Act's central aim is the reduct ion of crime and;disorder within local communities, and young people are se en as the main locus of disorder. A range of new sanctions is provided to c orrect the behaviour of young people. The Act has been widely castigated fo r continuing the intolerance of the previous Conservative administration an d showing scant awareness of the needs of young people. Young people are ma intained in a subordinate position vis-a-vis society and the paternalistic nature of juvenile justice is reaffirmed. Such an interpretation would blin d one to the innovations within the Act; drawing on the governmentality lit erature, it is suggested that youths are been encouraged to take greater re sponsibility for their actions and to attach to an emotional community. The demise of a unitary notion of society means that young people must become active citizens, taking charge of their lives in accordance with the wishes of others; those who do not will bear the brunt of the coercion that is so evident within the Act.