Josephine Smit stands up for teenagers

"They're simply beautiful". That was what I first thought when I looked at the moody faces staring back at me on the contact sheets from photographer Micheal Grieve. I also felt angry on behalf of teenagers. Here's why.

Grieve spent almost two days with the young people of Leytonstone, east London getting the cover and photographic essay for our May issue. He built up a rapport with his subjects and returned with these powerful images, which are a world away from the stereotypical photo of a teenager in a hoodie, the potential aggressor.

I'm not denying that gangs are not a problem, or that kids get caught up in knives, crime and drugs. But I am angry that we so seldom see beautiful images of anyone between the ages of 12 and 20 unless they have attained celebrity as a supermodel or a popstar. How can teenagers develop a sense of self-worth when every newspaper and television channel depicts them as either an aggressor or a victim? How can kids aspire to something better?

I don't know what the aspirations are of the youth of Leytonstone, but I hope they are aiming high. They're worth it.

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