ASBOs and terrorism: the problems of bombs, beer and bling

A man was recently stabbed to death for standing up to a gang of aggressive young men who were throwing rubbish into his car. Another was murdered when he came out of his house to ask some young men to quieten down while he tried to sleep for an early morning start. Two teenagers have been charged. Binge drinking, and in particular under-age drinking and related violence is on the rise. Violence instigated by young women is increasing too. The police say that they have to change their working hours to accommodate the late night violence and youth crime. The government's solution? Slap an anti-social behaviour tag on the perpetrators - this is just labelling the problem, but not addressing the causes.

Where is this intense aggression coming from? Why do young people feel so angry, why so little concern for tolerance of those around them? Where is the sense of community and honour that used to bind people together and create a framework for social interaction? Where are the aspirations, direction and connections that are needed to fill the void that is possessing youth? It is being filled with anger, despair and destruction. The disaffected generation of the turn of the century takes pride in creating havoc and distress.

We've heard a cry in recent days that young black men need better role models, people who can offer them different options other than rapping, violence and drug dealing. Success is material and ephemeral. Expensive outfits and outrageous jewellery along with angry lyrics and a gun are the leitmotifs. Clothes, bling and attitude maketh the man in the 21st century. The only thing in reach is the aggressive attitude, everything else is beyond their touch through legitimate means. The world that they see before them seems so appealing, so idyllic and so out of their reach, and they have nothing else on which to model their ambitions and drive them forward. They follow the lead of those who seem to have the answers – those glamorising gun crime and violence.

Young Muslims are just as disaffected. They too suffer from the same malaise as their peers. Why should they be any different? The world around them has little meaning to them, and there appears to be no way to change it. They see and experience discrimination, they are ostracised from being British, despite the fact that they identify themselves as such. Media and political rhetoric tells Muslims they must 'fit in' and do it 'their' way or go back home. But this is home, for the young Muslims. But they feel unwanted in their own home, rejected and ridiculed. When trying to communicate through the political system, their dress code is challenged. When trying to talk to the government about its policies, as the government asks citizens to do, then they are ignored. They turn to those who seem to succeed in creating impact – those advocating violence. Instead of rappers glamorising gun-crime, it is extremists glamorising terrorism.

The government, policymakers and the media treat these groups differently. They are different problems, they tell us. Heavy drinking, violence and anti-social behaviour are a cultural phenomenon, we are told. Young black men suffer from discrimination, reduced life chances and an identity crisis. Young Muslims are being poisoned by Islamic extremists, cry the tabloids and the neo-cons.

These evils do indeed exist, but they find their fertile breeding grounds in the same ugly causes. Young people have been let down by our ability to give them aspirations and opportunities. There is a failure to offer a framework of values, self-worth and the belief that they can achieve something in their own right by being part of society rather than trying to destroy it.

When success is measured entirely by the wealth and celebrity that can only be bestowed upon a few, and which we all know deep down is only a fickle yardstick, why bother trying? When you have never been taught at school about what faith and values are, and why morality is important, why do we find the disappearance of 'traditional' values a shock?

Neighbours and communities were once the bedrock of bringing up children, allowing them to learn how to interact, behave with and respect others. Now anyone taking a caring interest is labelled as 'interfering' and attacked. Why then are we surprised when the value of others is diminished?

There was once a drive to succeed and achieve your potential, now it is about gaining success and wealth. When simple material measures become meaningless, and you feel helpless to improve things any other way, then the void can be filled by ideology which offers clear directions and answers.

The murky grey of liberalism lurks like a mournful cloud over young people who want direction. It offers no pointers on how to break the deadlock and create something better. No wonder strong ideologies that paint a more vivid picture of the world and how to deal with it are so popular. Is it any surprise that the stark black and white nature of neo-conservatism or extremism and terrorism are so appealing to young people who have little aspiration, and less optimism about their future? When there appears no way to create change, then what is unexpected about using violence and terror to finally be heard?

The symptoms need treating. Violence, whether through over zealous addiction to bombs, beer or bling has to be dealt with firmly and with zero tolerance. They will all destroy our society. Beneath these we need to see that young people are bearing the burden of the deconstruction of our values and communities.

Muslims are accused of not being 'British', and are told they must be more British and adopt British values and live as part of the community. But accusations are usually most revealing about the self-same accuser. Do these directives uncover a longing to return to values and community life?

Being British is about sharing the same values. Sadly, as a nation, the values we once held dear of living together with respect, the importance of self-worth and of ambition to make something of ourselves, however small that ambition might seem, have been lost. We once loved to succeed. Now our younger generations are bearing the brunt of the self-loathing we feel at our failures. Young people of whatever background feel that the world around them has nothing to offer and that today's Britishness is of little relevance.

For young Muslims, we need to instill a sense of empowerment and inclusion in society. Everyone wants to be part of the community they live in. Only when they see or experience rejection does anger build up and do alternatives become appealing. For young Muslims, it may be that they already have a grounding in the basics of faith. They may already have understood in their hearts that they want to live in a good society and create a better world for themselves and the people around them. But with the inability to create change and channel their aspirations through legitimate means, then extremist ideologies step in to show them how they can make a real impact. Young people learn by what they are shown. If governments can use violence to create a better world, then they will ask, why can't they? And if a community has rejected them, then what responsibilities to they have to that community?

Anti-social behaviour and terrorism are degrees of difference. They both create fear, violence and death, albeit on enormously different scales. But for each individual that is affected by the fear, violence and death, for every single person murdered, the actions are equally mindless, and show equal disregard for the worth of others and the importance of community. What we need to recognise is that their roots lie in the same dark place of rejection, role models that glamorise violence and a seismic lack of hope and frustration.