Young Warriors – Lessons from Youth Culture | Lunchtime Learning Summary

26 September, 2025

Please note: Posts published before 2026 may reference our former name, the Scottish Community Safety Network (SCSN)

Summary of the webinar

Session focus

Explored youth culture, violence prevention, and hope through the lens of the Young Warriors podcast.
Challenged dominant narratives that portray young people primarily through risk or deficit.

Speaker

Professor Alistair Fraser (University of Glasgow) shared the journey of creating Young Warriors and the stories behind the podcast.

About the Young Warriors podcast

A six-part series capturing the voices of young people and grassroots organisations across the UK.
Developed as a project in its own right, rather than a traditional research output.
Aimed at amplifying youth voices and highlighting creativity, resilience, and leadership.

Stories and examples shared

Youth-led COVID food projects (London)
- Young people stepped up to support their communities, reshaping how they were viewed locally.
Creative studios in youth justice settings (Manchester)
- Music and spoken word were used as tools for expression, reflection, and confidence-building.
Outdoor challenges with G20 Youth Project (Glasgow)
- Activities like the Three Peaks Challenge helped build resilience, trust, and self-belief.
The Young Wise Men (Glasgow)
- A group of young men affected by violence who created films, music, games, and a podcast to explore masculinity and identity.

Key themes and learning

Listening to young people
- Meaningful change begins when adults create space for young people to speak in their own words.
Creativity as prevention
- Art, music, storytelling, and nature provide powerful ways for young people to process experiences and build connection.
Leadership and empowerment
- Projects were most effective when young people were treated as partners, not problems.

Reflections and takeaways

Grassroots youth work plays a vital role in prevention, often driven by passion rather than resources.
Podcasting and storytelling can be powerful tools for knowledge exchange and narrative change.
The session left attendees feeling hopeful, inspired, and reminded of the importance of passing the mic to young people.

About the speaker

Alistair Fraser is Professor of Criminology at the University of Glasgow, based within the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. He is the author or co-author of Urban Legends: Gang Identity in the Post-Industrial City (OUP, 2015), Gangs and Crime: Critical Alternatives (Sage, 2017) and Preventing Violence (BUP, 2025). In 2017 he was named as one of the BBC’s ‘New Generation Thinkers’ and has since regularly written and presented for BBC Radio 3. In May 2025, Young Warriors was listed as podcast ‘pick of the week’ by The Guardian.

We hope you can join us for this session! Please feel free to bring your lunch along, listen in, and take the opportunity to share your questions and reflections with us.