Don't stigmatise young people

Whether it's encouraging the use of antisocial behaviour orders or cracking down on begging, young people are the unspoken target of many of the Home Office's measures to "turn the tide against antisocial behaviour" (17 October, page 10).

I wholeheartedly support uncompromising action against the small minority who refuse to respond to less formal interventions, but we also need to make sure we are providing incentives to the vast majority of our young people who are good citizens.

Community development projects can build young people's confidence and reward their achievements. Most young people do make a positive contribution to the life of their community. In our determination to crack down hard on the handful of people who make life a misery for their neighbours, we must avoid stigmatising and alienating a whole swathe of young people, which could in the long run result in the problem of antisocial behaviour getting worse.