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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/03/as-south-sudanese-community-leaders-we-must-give-our-youth-a-sense-of-belonging
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| As South Sudanese community leaders we must give our youth a sense of belonging | As South Sudanese community leaders we must give our youth a sense of belonging |
| (about 16 hours later) | |
| Some of our disengaged young people who have gone off the rails rebel against a society they believe is rejecting them. Let’s address this sense of hopelessness | |
| Wed 3 Jan 2018 02.51 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 11 Jan 2018 23.46 GMT | |
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| It seems that the easiest solution to address the issue of violent youth crime in Australia is to either imprison or deport those young people who continually break the law. Eliminating the “bad apples” from the Australian society is seen by many as the quick-fix solution to youth crime which is creating widespread fear and cementing stereotypes. However I question whether this approach will stand the moral test of time. | It seems that the easiest solution to address the issue of violent youth crime in Australia is to either imprison or deport those young people who continually break the law. Eliminating the “bad apples” from the Australian society is seen by many as the quick-fix solution to youth crime which is creating widespread fear and cementing stereotypes. However I question whether this approach will stand the moral test of time. |
| Like many refugees around the world, South Sudanese left their home country in search of a peaceful and safe place to live and to raise their families. The majority of South Sudanese have made Australia their home and are prospering peacefully. There are however some young people from South Sudan who don’t feel they belong in Australia, nor do they belong in South Sudan. | Like many refugees around the world, South Sudanese left their home country in search of a peaceful and safe place to live and to raise their families. The majority of South Sudanese have made Australia their home and are prospering peacefully. There are however some young people from South Sudan who don’t feel they belong in Australia, nor do they belong in South Sudan. |
| There are many reasons for their struggle to belong – adjusting to new culture, freedoms and expectations, learning difficulties, obstacles in the job market, negative media portrayal, and difficulty with some police officers who are culturally incompetent. Issues like these can make young people feel isolated and separated from the community. | There are many reasons for their struggle to belong – adjusting to new culture, freedoms and expectations, learning difficulties, obstacles in the job market, negative media portrayal, and difficulty with some police officers who are culturally incompetent. Issues like these can make young people feel isolated and separated from the community. |
| Some of those young people who have gone off the rails are simply rebelling against a society that they feel is rejecting them. This is creating a cycle of fear and rejection which, if left unchecked, will continue to grow out of control. | Some of those young people who have gone off the rails are simply rebelling against a society that they feel is rejecting them. This is creating a cycle of fear and rejection which, if left unchecked, will continue to grow out of control. |
| Most, if not all of the Apex gang members were not born in South Sudan or the Sudan. Some of them are as young as 12 years and the group leader is only 20 years old. Sudanese and South Sudanese started settling in Australia in early 1990s, which means that some of these young people were born in Australia or came from refugee camps at a very young age. These young people are more Australian than they are South Sudanese or African. | Most, if not all of the Apex gang members were not born in South Sudan or the Sudan. Some of them are as young as 12 years and the group leader is only 20 years old. Sudanese and South Sudanese started settling in Australia in early 1990s, which means that some of these young people were born in Australia or came from refugee camps at a very young age. These young people are more Australian than they are South Sudanese or African. |
| If the government deports these young offenders, it will be sending them to a country they did not come from, and for many, they will be permanently separated from their family, who are living in Australia, not South Sudan. Furthermore, it would be to their detriment as South Sudan is currently being ravaged by internal civil war and also experiencing severe famine. | If the government deports these young offenders, it will be sending them to a country they did not come from, and for many, they will be permanently separated from their family, who are living in Australia, not South Sudan. Furthermore, it would be to their detriment as South Sudan is currently being ravaged by internal civil war and also experiencing severe famine. |
| The suggestion that South Sudanese young people behave the way they do “because of their exposure to war” is simplifying the complexity of this issue and actually incorrect, as the majority have never been exposed to war. The same conclusion could be drawn for young people from Middle Eastern background, and not all Middle Eastern youth have experienced war personally either. It does not explain why with no exposure to war, people from other cultural backgrounds also engage in similar criminal activities. | The suggestion that South Sudanese young people behave the way they do “because of their exposure to war” is simplifying the complexity of this issue and actually incorrect, as the majority have never been exposed to war. The same conclusion could be drawn for young people from Middle Eastern background, and not all Middle Eastern youth have experienced war personally either. It does not explain why with no exposure to war, people from other cultural backgrounds also engage in similar criminal activities. |
| A lot of the South Sudanese diaspora are women and their children as many men were killed in the war leaving their wives as widows. Most of these mothers spoke little or no English when they arrived and had limited knowledge about living in Australia. Any migrant parents from a non-English-speaking background would understand how hard it is to raise a child who speaks another language. South Sudanese parents soon realised after arriving in Australia that they were no longer living in a village situation and were isolated from other family and friends. | A lot of the South Sudanese diaspora are women and their children as many men were killed in the war leaving their wives as widows. Most of these mothers spoke little or no English when they arrived and had limited knowledge about living in Australia. Any migrant parents from a non-English-speaking background would understand how hard it is to raise a child who speaks another language. South Sudanese parents soon realised after arriving in Australia that they were no longer living in a village situation and were isolated from other family and friends. |
| Many South Sudanese youth have become disillusioned and believe education is no longer the key to success here in Australia because of the difficulty in finding a job once you are qualified. There are many young people whose parents, cousins, aunts and uncles have successfully completed university in various fields but cannot find jobs. There is a growing sense of frustration and hopelessness among the disengaged youth. | Many South Sudanese youth have become disillusioned and believe education is no longer the key to success here in Australia because of the difficulty in finding a job once you are qualified. There are many young people whose parents, cousins, aunts and uncles have successfully completed university in various fields but cannot find jobs. There is a growing sense of frustration and hopelessness among the disengaged youth. |
| It is needless to say that the South Sudanese community is just like any other community in which there are good and bad apples. It is blatantly absurd to think that every South Sudanese wants to join the so-called Apex gang. “Are you a member of Apex?” and “Do you know anyone involved in Apex?” are now the two most commonly asked questions by members of the Victoria police when they stop a South Sudanese young person. Unfortunately, approaching young people as suspects can lead to confrontation, resulting in young people being charged with assault. Once again, the cycle of mistrust and suspicion continues to grow and build. | It is needless to say that the South Sudanese community is just like any other community in which there are good and bad apples. It is blatantly absurd to think that every South Sudanese wants to join the so-called Apex gang. “Are you a member of Apex?” and “Do you know anyone involved in Apex?” are now the two most commonly asked questions by members of the Victoria police when they stop a South Sudanese young person. Unfortunately, approaching young people as suspects can lead to confrontation, resulting in young people being charged with assault. Once again, the cycle of mistrust and suspicion continues to grow and build. |
| We all have a role to play in addressing youth crime in general. Governments need to focus more on investing in families and their young people, rather than investing in building more high-security prisons. Media outlets need to be more balanced in their reporting and highlight inspiring South Sudanese youth stories so that the coverage is not always negative. Community services and statutory departments such as child protection and the police need to work collaboratively with community leaders and parents to ensure that appropriate support is provided to the young people and their families. We need to engage our South Sudanese youth with sporting clubs, youth groups and community groups to build a positive sense of belonging. | We all have a role to play in addressing youth crime in general. Governments need to focus more on investing in families and their young people, rather than investing in building more high-security prisons. Media outlets need to be more balanced in their reporting and highlight inspiring South Sudanese youth stories so that the coverage is not always negative. Community services and statutory departments such as child protection and the police need to work collaboratively with community leaders and parents to ensure that appropriate support is provided to the young people and their families. We need to engage our South Sudanese youth with sporting clubs, youth groups and community groups to build a positive sense of belonging. |
| As South Sudanese parents and community leaders we need to accept our children as they are rather than disowning them. Accepting them does not mean condoning what they are doing but rather making sure that they have a home, a family and a community to come back to when they get out of prison or stop engaging in criminal behaviours. Parents need to accept the fact that their children are Australians and they need to be brought up in an Australian way. This involves putting the interests of the children first and being there for your children when they need you. | As South Sudanese parents and community leaders we need to accept our children as they are rather than disowning them. Accepting them does not mean condoning what they are doing but rather making sure that they have a home, a family and a community to come back to when they get out of prison or stop engaging in criminal behaviours. Parents need to accept the fact that their children are Australians and they need to be brought up in an Australian way. This involves putting the interests of the children first and being there for your children when they need you. |
| Let’s step back and ask ourselves: have we as a society helped these young people enough before we give up on them and deport them? It is one thing to open our door for someone to come into our house but it is another to make them feel welcome and at home. | Let’s step back and ask ourselves: have we as a society helped these young people enough before we give up on them and deport them? It is one thing to open our door for someone to come into our house but it is another to make them feel welcome and at home. |
| • Andrew Gai is a youth and family support worker at Anglicare Victoria. He was born in South Sudan and migrated to Australia as a young refugee in 2006 | • Andrew Gai is a youth and family support worker at Anglicare Victoria. He was born in South Sudan and migrated to Australia as a young refugee in 2006 |
| Crime - Australia | |
| Opinion | |
| Daniel Andrews | |
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| Australian immigration and asylum | |
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