Regularly reviled by the press, vilified as ‘hoodies’ or ‘lager swilling louts’ who terrorise law abiding citizens, teenagers are often presented as ‘the enemy within’. Sadly, recent events in the news seem to confirm this negative image. The murder in Warrington of a father, carried out by a group of young people in front of his own family, marked a very sad day; made more poignant given the account of his efforts to work with local police to address antisocial behaviour in his neighbourhood. This tragic event appears to support the idea of lawlessness on Britain's streets and a growing fear of young people as volatile and violent. Government strategies such as the Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) have failed dismally and rather created a pseudo ‘badge of honour’ among a disaffected …