Care providers often describe young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods in The Hague as difficult to reach. The teenagers say little, act cool, look away, laugh or they don’t show up. What is going on in their minds, what concerns they have or what problems they struggle with, almost no one knows. How come? And what needs to change?
Twenty young people in The Hague from the same deprived neighborhoods sought answers to these questions last year. They were approached and guided by youth workers from the welfare organization Wijkz and a researcher from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The teenagers took surveys and interviewed about two hundred peers from their own neighborhoods that fall under The Hague Southwest: Moerwijk, Bouwlust, Vrederust and Morgenstond. Neighborhoods with many social rental properties, where approximately half of the residents have a migration background and where relatively many people are poorly educated and earn considerably less than in other parts of The Hague.
The young people recently shared the results of their research ‘Resilience and Resilience’ with municipal officials and healthcare professionals in The Hague. Student Amir El Youssefi (21) from the Vrederust district provided the presentation.
What problems did you encounter among young people in The Hague Southwest?
“Young people do not easily talk about their problems, but because we come from the neighborhoods ourselves and have often grown up together, they sometimes confide their concerns to us. What we hear and see? Young people are often driven and talented, but they have a lot of stress and psychological problems. They worry about their education, will they be able to complete it? Will they be able to get a job later? Is there enough money for the family? Many young people grow up in less stable families, so these opportunities are less obvious for them.”
Does that also apply to you?
“Yes, in a sense. My parents divorced when I was small. My mother was alone with five children. We were not well off. Now that we are older we can support her financially and we have a stable existence. I am also doing well, I study and have a job, but that is not the norm. So I understand the young people from the neighborhood very well.
Amir El Youssefi
Photo Hedayatullah Amid / NRC
“Many people in the Southwest live in a rented house, they are poorly educated and do not earn much. There are also families where parents do not always speak the language well. Fathers and mothers are less familiar with the Dutch system. They do not know exactly which authorities to contact or how taxes and benefits work. Problems pile up. Young people regularly help their parents. They translate letters, call authorities and find out how things should be arranged. Sometimes they also contribute financially to the household. Many young people have debts. It happens that they stop their education to support the family. Those are real concerns.
“There are also young people who grow up in families where there are tensions and arguments. I know boys who drop out of school to go to work so they can leave home. And then for some there is the temptation to earn money quickly. And anyone who ends up in crime notices how difficult it is to find normal work again. The gap between street culture and the formal labor market is large. And believe me, many young people would rather earn white money, but they lack guidance and practical tools: how do you create a CV? How do you behave during a job application? How do you deal with people who may not understand you? And: without a diploma and network, it is also difficult.”
Why don’t the young people seek help?
“That does not fit in with our culture. Many young people here from the Southwest have Moroccan and Turkish roots. Our parents or grandparents have left their home country to build a better life for their children. They are often uneducated or poorly educated, they want us to get diplomas. They often do hard work, make ends meet. Our parents do what they can. Would you knock on our door with mental problems, debts, hassle at school? No, you want to make parents proud. You don’t want to bother them. You don’t want to fail, if you fail you fail not only to your parents but also to your family and the community. You have to uphold the good name and honor of the family.
“Parents in the Southwest like to show their love with good food and a clean house. It is not unwillingness or neglect, certainly not, our parents love us dearly, but it is not in the culture to talk about problems.”
If you can’t talk at home, can you ask for help from professionals?
“Asking for help does not feel like a solution but as a risk. Care providers follow protocols that state that they must soon involve your parents. Well, and the young people don’t want that. The loss of face, they shouldn’t think about it.”
Then what is the solution?
“Twofold. I think that parents should receive more information. Not directly about their own child, because that is a deterrent. But more general information about mental problems in young people. That they know that it is happening and what the consequences can be. Also about not making it a topic of discussion. Young people then start to bottle up their frustrations. And then they will come out at some point.
“On the other hand, it would help if municipal officials who make the policy, but also the care providers, knew more about how the young people live here. The gap is so big. More trust would help. In my opinion, care providers should be in the neighborhood more. And don’t ask what is wrong, say: what helps you to persevere now?
“Sometimes you don’t have to talk, give young people an outlet. A gym box where they can exercise. Or a music studio, many young people like to rap, that can also be a way to express emotions.”
