Opinion piece first published in online health news blog Croakey on 16 August 2011

As the smoke clears in London, there are questions every society, including our own, must ask themselves about what are the many and complex causes which lead to behaviour such as that seen during the riots across the UK.

This sort of behaviour has been seen before. What appeared to be different this time was the diversity of the young crowd (employed, unemployed, educated and those not in school/training). For the first time also, the young people involved did not appear to be actively demonstrating for a common political end or stated cause - they were angry, and ready to cause indiscriminate damage and senseless violence.

Confronted by these facts, a number of questions arise. How did they get so disconnected? Why does this disconnection then lead them towards abhorrent behaviour? Is this the human side/expression of longstanding social and economic problems?

If it is, then how can we make sure that the brunt of varied global crises does not irreparably damage our young people? And how do we raise a generation of young people who are resilient, positive about the future and engaged in the world around them, to prevent them from becoming so disaffected?

It’s not easy, but we mustn’t lose hope.

The real test of a society is its ability to respond to a crisis. And I’m not just talking about emergency services and the government. I’m talking about the community and how socially connected we are.

The brutal imagery splashed across the front pages of newspapers over the past few weeks has been counter-balanced by images of hope in the form of thousands of community members turning out with buckets and mops, ready to clean up their streets.

This en-masse show of support, including this weekend’s protest for peace in Birmingham is proof that the riots are not simply a manifestation of something rotten at Britain’s core. They are also a demonstration of the strengths of that society.

While it’s true social media played a role in mobilising the disaffected young people, it’s important to point out that it was used equally effectively by communities to organise the clean up.

There are many examples of this kind of community mobilisation and social connection around the world and perhaps none more remarkable than in our own backyards.

When parts of Queensland and Victoria were under water earlier this year, thousands of volunteers squeezed into buses to spend rotating 12 hour shifts to scrub fetid mud off strangers’ houses. There were a few isolated cases of looting, but given the opportunity for it, it was impressively minimal.

When Norway recently lost 77 people to the murderous actions of an extremist, 200,000 more turned out in solidarity to march for peace and to support one another. And when the earth below Christchurch shook violently and claimed 166 lives, we again saw an overwhelming outpouring of community support.

There’s no doubt the London crisis is resonant of world events in recent times that highlight the role of participation in employment, education and public life in building a community in which individuals have a place, are respectful and are respected. Socially engaged people will be strong role models, unwavering in their defence of the positive values upon which their society is built.

Pathways to participation will take some time to open up for those who are most disconnected, but what emerges for us is a clear need to connect our people (particularly young people) to community and to ensure communities have the resilience to deal with unsettling and turbulent times. They are our people and they need to feel that sense of belonging.

Research tells us this kind of civic connection is built not only through education and employment but also through taking part in sports, arts, and other community engagement such as volunteering. These activities give people the skills, connections, voice, and sense of camaraderie to act as a community when the going gets tough.

We know that taking part in arts activity contributes to reduced crime, increased employment rates, and better educational performance. Connecting through the arts in particular, can act as a platform to debate community issues, particularly from the perspective of marginalised groups.

VicHealth, in partnership with the Victorian State Government and many other organisations, has invested in building social connection, reducing discrimination, preventing violence and encouraging communities to support one another for decades.

Together we run a diverse range of programs that get people – particularly young people - at risk of isolation and discrimination to meet up and connect with one another, whether through education, theatre, online communities or sports.

What the UK riots tell us is that we need to be vigilant in our work to support connected communities and to ultimately prevent violence.  Governments are increasingly beginning to realise that prevention really is better than a cure.

Currently Australia and Victoria are faring well. We have low unemployment, high rates of educational attainment and high levels of community participation.

But what we’ve clearly seen over the past few weeks is that situations can rapidly change. We must be ever vigilant to keep in touch with how our young people are faring before the fires are lit.

Associate Professor John Fitzgerald
Acting CEO
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth)