Changing the Narrative: Understanding the lived experiences of young people of colour in Harehills

This research project will engage with racially diverse young people and community leaders in Harehills, Leeds to understand their experiences of youth violence in the area. 

The project will explore racially diverse young people and community leaders’ perceptions of interactions with the police, and examine the effectiveness of youth and educational services in the area for providing safety and support. 

Background 

West Yorkshire Police have been working with members of the Harehills community to address fears about violent crime among young people. However, while youth funding has been directed to Harehills by the local council, the effects of wider cuts to public services, and the cost of living crisis, continue to be felt in the area, particularly impacting vulnerable young people. Furthermore, recent disorders in Harehills concerning the Roma community in October 2024, have contributed to increased scrutiny following a barrage of negative media reports portraying the community as dangerous, deprived and unsafe. 

Adopting the Centre’s anti-racist framework, the project focuses on the lived experiences of racially diverse youth in Harehills. 

Living in Harehills means that young people are likely to grow up in communities where groups considered racial minorities in the national context are the local majority. It is necessary to understand how racial identity might be positively or negatively associated with youth risk and resilience. One hypothesis is that racial identity is a risk factor for youth violence and police injustice, especially when coupled with experiences of racial discrimination and the stigma of living in economically deprived and unsafe neighborhood contexts. In contrast, however, from a positive youth development perspective, racial identity could be a resilience factor when coupled with pride-in place, place-based extracurricular activities and positive interpersonal experiences when engaging with youth and educational services. 

Evidence from the lived experiences of racially diverse young people is important to highlight and address inequalities, as well as challenge negative mainstream narratives. It can also provide positive counternarratives about the role racial identity plays in youth violence and police (in)justice. 

Aims 

This project aims to change the narrative on youth violence and police (in)justice in the Harehills community by focusing on the lived experiences of young people of colour to critically understand their needs, their concerns, and their priorities. Specifically, the project team will answer the following research questions: 

1. How do young people of colour perceive policing and safety in the area? 
2. In what ways are their vulnerabilities exacerbated by their racialized identities? 
3. How do young people of colour feel about negative media reporting on Harehills in relation to youth crime? 
4. What have been the effects of cuts to public services on young people in the area? 
5. As racialized minorities, to what extent do young people in Harehills feel excluded by support services? 
6. What are young people’s visions for change in Harehills? 

Methodology 

Using participatory action research methods, the team will collect data using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with young people and community leaders from Harehills. Additionally, the team will use activity-based methods to engage with young people including arts-based methods, walking ethnography, digital ethnography, and experience maps. 

Publications and outputs

Interactive Harehills data insights tool 

The Harehills data insights tool enables users to explore and compare local social and policing data across Harehills, the Leeds region, and national benchmarks. It visualises trends in deprivation, crime rates and stop-and-search incidences, with filters by age and ethnicity. 

This tool was created by Sam Relins, data scientist within the Centre’s Connected Data Analytics Programme led by Professor Dan Birks. 

Also, the team will coproduce the following outputs: 

• A community-led action plan 

• Community-led workshops 

• An accessible community report

Project website

https://vulnerabilitypolicing.org.uk/changing-the-narrative-racially-diverse-youths-perspectives-on-policing-violence-and-injustice-in-harehills/