YOUTH AT RISK: SURVEY

Drugs, discrimination and the police themselves top the list of things that
make young people feel unsafe in their communities, according to a survey
conducted by a Toronto task force.

The survey, which was released recently, spoke to young people in four
communities considered to be at-risk: Jane and Finch, Regent Park, Malvern
and Parkdale.

According to the survey, which was conducted last year by a subcommittee of
Toronto's Task Force on Community Safety, 79.8 per cent of the 1,254
respondents said they felt safe in Toronto. More females said they felt
unsafe than males. And in general, youth in two neighbourhoods - Jane Finch
and Regent Park - were more nervous than others.

In Jane-Finch, 27.5 per cent of young people felt they were unsafe on the
streets.

The survey also asked young people what the factors were that made them
feel unsafe. In ranking order, the top worries were drug activity - which
57.7 per cent of respondents worried about - police treatment of youth -
which worried 52.8 per cent of respondents - and weapons - which concerned
47.9 per cent of respondents.

That ranking also changed between males and females. Males felt they were
most threatened by drug activity and police; females by physical assault
and discrimination and harassment.

Toronto children's advocate Olivia Chow (Ward 20, Trinity-Spadina) said the
survey points to a need for police to reach out to young people.

"Perhaps they can do so through community centres and programs," Chow said.
"It's not saying anything that we don't know. It's just the young people
are saying it. We need young people to trust the police."