The visibility of and the differences among young people (on the basis of class, gender, ethnicity and race) are crucial to understanding the construction of youth as a social problem. Discuss with reference to relevant studies and research on young peop

Pick up a copy of any regional newspaper and you will undoubtedly find articles that portray youth in a negative light. Media plays a major role in representing adolescents as a problem to society, a problem that needs to be publicly shared and discussed and a problem that concerns maintaining order and civility within public spaces (Oswell, 1998). Youth unemployment, homelessness, substance abuse, juvenile crime and violence, teenage pregnancy, uncontrolled sexuality and educational dropouts are all images regularly portrayed as typical of our uncontrollable and problem youth (Panelli, Nairn, Atwool, McCormack, 2002). Sadly, society views these problems as being caused by young people rather than as problems produced by society that our young people must face (Jones, 1995). Are all adolescents seen as a social problem or is it only certain groups? This paper will look at the issues of class, gender, race and ethnicity and the visibility of these differences and how they play a par...