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In May 2026 the Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy published the new Youth Justice White Paper.
The White Paper recognises that “genuine diversion” must involve “addressing root causes”. Our engagement with people in Swale sheds light on a ‘root cause’ around a lack of youth provision and opportunities for young people.
As part of our ongoing place-based engagement, Healthwatch Kent spoke to 46 residents living in Swale in Winter 2025, to understand how their local environment affects their health and wellbeing. We heard the most frequent concern raised, by over a third (39%) of respondents was about crime and anti-social behaviour committed by young people.
“Groups of youths are a problem. I deliver for an Indian Takeaway and we are experiencing racial hate crimes. They throw objects in the door, shouting racial slurs. It's not all of the youths. It's one group that's well known.”
Many residents that mentioned anti-social behaviour by young people linked it to their being a lack of opportunity or events for young people.
“I am used to [anti-social behaviour] but I feel sorry for the younger generation, it's bad for them, as they have nothing to do, so either go to the beach or just hang around and that's where trouble can brew as they are bored and want something to do.”
Specific concerns were raised about young people littering (28%), Drug Use (22%) and use of electronic scooters or bikes (16%). Residents also told us that they are avoiding certain areas or at certain times, in line with findings from national research.
We hear from people across Kent and Medway and are able to draw comparisons between different areas.
In Swale, just over 1 in 3 people mentioned crime and anti-social behaviour, with residents consistently linking young people and anti-social behaviour. This can be compared to Gillingham where just over 2 in 3 residents raised issues around crime and anti-social behaviour, mainly speaking on the topics of personal safety and how these issues can disproportionately affect people of different groups.
Kent and Medway wide research completed by Kent Police found that 51.5% of people they spoke to had experienced anti-social behaviour. Gov.UK research has shown that experiencing anti-social behaviour led to a third of people avoiding certain hotspots of anti-social behaviour, around a quarter of people going out less often and just under a fifth changing their travelling habits. These patterns have been seen across Medway and have been highlighted in Healthwatch Medway’s 2025 report ‘Crime, anti-social behaviour and personal safety in Medway’.
Kent police have stated that they ‘will not hesitate’ to implement preventative and dispersal orders to tackle pockets of anti-social behaviour over the upcoming summer. Helen Wheatley, MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, has also called for Swale borough council to introduce a Public Space Protection Order to ban the use of catapults, which were mentioned by Swale residents in our engagement.
The experiences we heard from Swale residents about youth anti-social behaviour are comparable with those on a county and national level. So too were the impacts of the behaviour, including avoiding certain areas
In keeping with the new Youth Justice White Paper, and tackling ‘root causes’, the insights gained from Swale residents would suggest that a preventative approach, addressing the lack of youth provision that residents told us about, could mitigate anti-social behaviour. Projects such as the new Swale Youth Hub are perceived as positive steps towards this.
39% of Swale residents we spoke to told us about the strong sense of community they feel, and was another of the top themes from our engagement. Stakeholders could ensure that Swale residents have the opportunity to be involved in the establishment of more groups and opportunities.
Bias and limitations
Residents we spoke to were those who were available and willing to speak to us at the time and location of each engagement event. Therefore, the sample is not representative of the Swale population. These findings should be interpreted as indicative trends rather than conclusive evidence.
