ABSTRACT
In this chapter we explore the role of UK social policy in infl uencing the experiences of young people in relation to risk. Over the past ten years, the UK government has been active in constructing policies that aim to ‘encourage’ the young to be active citizens. In the discussion that follows we show how the concepts of ‘risk’ and ‘risk-taking’ have been central to the policy agenda and how this has shaped the choices, expectations and opportunities made available to the young. The focus will be on exploring the moral agenda that emerges from such an approach, which underpins the notion of a ‘good society’ (Etzioni 1995). We will also show how such policies can have a negative impact on young people, leading to greater regulation and control of certain youth populations and creating a situation where the actions of young people more generally are bounded by moral expectations.
