Church in Wales symposium tackles anti-social behaviour

Ways to understand and tackle anti-social and criminal behaviour in neighbourhoods will come under the spotlight in an all-Wales symposium next week.

Experts who work with young people will be examining the root causes of threatening and abusive behaviour on Wales' streets and in homes and looking at new ways to turn it around at the two-day event organised by the Church in Wales and South Wales Police.

Called Transforming Behaviour - Transforming Communities, the symposium will be led by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, and the Chief Constable of South Wales Police, Barbara Wilding.

There will be presentations from people who work directly with young people, including Keith Towler, the Children's Commissioner for Wales and Peter Williams, social responsibility officer for the Church in Wales.

The event will begin with an analysis of the challenge of negative behaviours by Professor Martin Innes, director of The Universities' Police Science Institute at Cardiff University, whose work has influenced the development of neighbourhood policing. All the Welsh bishops will also be present.

The Rev Robin Morrison, Bishops' Adviser on Church and Society, who organised the symposium, said transforming anti-social behaviour in young people was one of the main challenges facing society across Wales.

"Studies show time and time again that British teenagers are more likely to get into fights, take drugs, have underage sex and binge drink than teenagers in most other European countries.

"As a church, we care about those involved, their families and communities and we are committed through our social projects to the long term prevention of this type of social breakdown.

"But no one organisation working alone can solve it. This symposium will bring together key people to focus on what can be done to tackle negative behaviours for the greater wellbeing of people in Wales.

"It is hoped every participant will use the opportunity to stretch their own thinking in relationship to causation and challenge themselves and their organisations to find new approaches to the problems solved."

Transforming Behaviour - Transforming Communities, organised and hosted by the Church in Wales, will take place 28-29 October at Llangoed Hall, Llyswen, Brecon.