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Characteristics of youth work

                According to Youth Work Preparation for practice by Jason Wood, Sue Westwood and Gill Thompson the seven characteristics of youth work are youth work is an educational practice.  Youth work is a social practice.  Youth workers try to change inequality and they work towards social justice. When it is possible the young people choose to be involved. Youth work is strengthening the voice and influence of young people. Youth work is also a welfare practice. Youth work works with young people holistically.
                Youth work is an educational practice. In a sense youth workers are educators that take part with young people in a different environment than a traditional class room. Youth workers use different methods than teachers and activities to encourage informal education and learning. We build open and trusting relationships to create learning and the youth get the chance to choose to engage in that learning experience rather than having no choice in a classroom. Youth workers purposefully get involved in the lives of young people to create activities and conversations that enable youth to think and feel differently towards the social world. This summer I worked at a sports camp, I was a lead councilor. I was not in a classroom with the youth I was on a soccer field and I was teaching the youth the rules of the different games we played and how to work as a team.
                Youth work is a social practice. Some youth workers will use the “case work” approach to working with young people. A youth worker can provide advice and guide the youth through any problem the young person maybe going through. This allows young people to use their values, attitudes, and behaviors while being with other people.
                 Youth workers try to change inequality and they work towards social justice. Youth workers will work with youth that have cultural and structural barriers and can try to help the youth overcome those barriers. A youth worker may address power imbalances instead of doing the right things to avoid unlawful discrimination.  
When it is possible the young people choose to be involved. Youth by tradition choose to be involved with youth work rather than participating because they have to.  The youth have little choice in if they attend school while they have a choice about youth work is based on voluntary engagement between the youth worker and the youth. While I was working at the sports camp I could tell which youth wanted to be there and which ones did not. The youth that did not want to be there hardly participated in the games with the group, those youth sat on the bench and watched the others all day.  
Youth work is strengthening the voice and influence of young people. Youth workers try to encourage the youth to have a positive impact on their community. Youth workers work towards moving youth from a position of having little power to where they can influence and make decisions.   
                Youth work is also a welfare practice. Youth work benefits the welfare and safety of the youth. They address personal and social behaviors that could limit the opportunities available to the youth.   

Youth work works with young people holistically. Youth workers work with the youth because they are young. The youth encounter difficulties and often need help outside of their family. Youth workers define their work as what problems they can address. 

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