I

ndonesian youths seem to be increasingly involved in urban violence via school brawls, soccer hooliganism, motorcycle gangs, thuggery and terrorism.

 Those who participate in school and kampung brawls are college students, junior school and high school students and even primary school students. Many young people are attracted to join feared motorcycle gangs.

This is the reality of our youth today, as we commemorate Youth Pledge Day on Oct. 28. So far, strategies to prevent youth violence have been more focused on short-term interventions and targeting so-called deviant individuals or youth groups.

Those who get caught as violent perpetrators are arrested, convicted or rehabilitated, and suspended or expelled from school.

Other strategies to stop a reproduction of the violent culture among the urban youth have included working with teachers, parents, as well as old and young community members, to organize community-based peace building activities and eliminate school-based gangs, which by all indications reproduce violent rivalry between schools.

Despite multiple attempts to prevent youths from participating in violence, little has been done to address the roots of the problem. The tendency of young people to engage in violence is related to urban problems, like the high level of unemployment and limited space for youths to gather and express themselves.

These problems are linked to the myths of youth '€” a time of life when one is '€œrebellious'€, '€œanxious'€ and '€œin search of identity'€, which are often used to justify youths'€™ involvement in violence.

With the economy unable to create jobs at the same pace as population growth, youth unemployment is common in urban areas. Unemployed youth are most likely to have more free time and are vulnerable to getting caught up in violence, releasing frustration and increasing their bargaining-power in the struggle over jobs or other economic resources.

Further, along with a lack of public space, there is a lack of political space for the young, especially those from the lower classes.

A political outlet is needed to accommodate and seek action on the issues that affect their lives, such as work opportunities and youth friendly city facilities.

This is due to two factors. First, many organizations use the image of youth as their names and symbols but are not concerned with youth issues.

This increases youth vulnerability to being mobilized by violent gangs or youth groups.

Second, youths who actively participate in organizations are most likely to be from the middle- to upper- classes, because lower-middle class youths are most likely to have inadequate access and capabilities to participate in such organizations.

Labor-intensive employment programs could be one alternative to curbing youth unemployment. Second, public infrastructure, like parks or sport halls, need to be revitalized so they can be used properly. Arts or sports-based youth groups also need to be facilitated to optimize the use of public infrastructure.

These kinds of youth groups also need to be valued and taken seriously to encourage others to engage in positive activities.

Third, existing youth organizations need to be empowered to become a political vehicle for youth to take action on the issues that affect their lives.

Access to these organizations also needs to be widened for lower-middle class youth. Having an empowered political vehicle, youths can then express their opinions peacefully, accept different viewpoints and learn to negotiate, compromise and avoid violence.

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The writer teaches at the faculty of sociology, University of Indonesia, Depok, West Java.