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Introduces MTV Networks Europe, where the author is Senior Vice‐President of Research and Planning, as Europe’s largest 24‐hour television network and an organisation which is constantly in touch with its vast Europe‐wide audience, including the youth market. Discusses youth culture and the youth market’s characteristics in an age of media explosion and disappearing national frontiers, where everything seems to comment on itself, context is everything, and individuality and authenticity are prized yet true originality is rare. Identifies the freedom that is on offer as essentially materialistic rather than political. Outlines the key influences on young people: the celebrity culture, music and fashion, technology and innovation, and family and friends. Points out that brand loyalty is weaker than in the past, and that branding tends to hide sameness rather than indicate difference. Describes the Collections of Cool research project at MTV, which analyses the youth market, and MTV’s “Switched On” publication covering microtrends in youth culture: this has identified likely hot artists and styles before they actually became successful. Lists some typical youth style trends: trucker caps, parachute pants, velour tracksuits, bling, school ties. Concludes with a look at the importance of music in youth culture and its links with fashion.

Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has provided a unique platform for users worldwide to share and engage with content, leading to a rise in user-generated content (UGC), especially among youth. One of the most prevalent, yet under-explored, subgenres of UGC is the user-generated music video, where users integrate music and images with an element of performance or narrative; the current research deploys longitudinal analysis to describe the trends in youth-created music videos and how these trends have evolved in the early years of YouTube. Using a sample of 100 youth-created user-generated music videos uploaded to YouTube in 2007 and 2013, the authors investigate trends in production strategies, narrative content, and demographics. Compared to videos posted in 2007, youth-created music videos posted in 2013 featured more complicated editing techniques, less linear narratives, younger actors, more women, and were more likely to celebrate the self, mimicking the recent emergence of “selfie culture.” These findings are discussed with respect to YouTube’s role in reducing barriers to entry and providing a virtual space for youth-oriented content communities that thrive on engagement and social networking as strategies of identity development.

Creating employment opportunities for the youth remains a dilemma for policymakers. In many cases, policies and programmes to tackle youth unemployment have produced little results, because such initiatives have failed to consider some fundamental inputs. In Ghana, youth unemployment rate has doubled or more than doubled the national average unemployment rate in recent years. The current study, therefore, examines how policies in the past two decades have affected youth unemployment rate and other development outcomes.

The study reviewed national economic development policy documents from 1996 to 2017 and other relevant policies aimed at creating employment opportunities for the youth, applying the content analysis procedure. Four main policy documents were reviewed in this regard. Data from secondary sources including International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Bank (WB), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) were analysed to examine the trends in youth unemployment rate, human development index and GDP growth rate in Ghana over the years. There were also formal and informal consultations with youth and development practitioners.

The results of the study show that policies that promote general growth in the economy reduce youth unemployment, while continuation of existing youth programmes, expansion, as well as addition of new ones by new governments reduces youth unemployment rate. In particular, GDP growth and youth unemployment rate trend in opposite direction; periods of increased growth have reduced youth unemployment rate and vice versa. The period of Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda I & II witnessed better reduction (5.7%) in youth unemployment rate than any of the policy periods. This was not sustained, and despite the current youth employment initiatives, unemployment among young people still remained higher than the national average.

The study provides relevant information on how development policies and programmes affect youth unemployment rate over time. In as much as it is not the interest of the study, the study stops short of empirical estimation to determine the level of GDP growth rate that can reduce a particular level of youth unemployment, which is a case for further research. Nevertheless, the outcome of the study reflects the data and methodology used.

To the best of the knowledge of the authors, this is a first study in Ghana that has attempted to directly link development outcomes such as youth unemployment to national economic development policies, although there are studies that have analysed the policy gaps and implementation challenges. This paper, therefore, bridges the knowledge of how development policies affect youth employment opportunities, particularly for Ghana.

Shows how child‐centred marketing in China has gradually developed, using an example the traditional hero figure Wukong, who now appears and behaves in a far more child‐friendly way than before. Uses child‐centred qualitative research, including drawings, play and photography, as well as interviews with parents and children, to assess trends among Chinese children and youth. Finds that gender is important in children’s choice of toys and games, especially for boys, and that empowerment is a dominant theme in their choice, and also in their aspirations for employment; they are curious, and wish to be successful, powerful and popular. Moves on to young people, finding that peer group pressures are their strongest influences and spending time with friends their favourite leisure activity; they appear to put the individual ahead of the family and to value self‐actualisation over external recognition, in strong contrast to traditional Chinese culture. Finishes with what counts as cool in China: this is a mix of western and traditional Chinese values, with sporting ability and competence scoring high, but musical tastes were for Chinese rather than international artists.

Global evidence suggests that youth offending has reduced; however, this study aims to suggest a more complex picture, with youth crime potentially being displaced to the digital space. Historically, young people and crime have been synonymous with public spaces and being visible. A shift or expansion to online offending requires revision of how the justice and educational systems respond to youth offending.

A systematic literature review explored keywords related to age, digital offence or harm and criminal or harmful nature, using a search, appraisal, synthesis and analysis framework.

Three emergent areas of digital youth crime are discussed: digitally assisted crime, digitally dependent crime and digital harm.

The shift in youth offending requires response adjustment from prevention to detection. Opportunities may exist to disrupt or redirect youth before they offend. Further data specific to digital offending is needed. These findings seek to provide a possible direction for future research.

The concept of digital displacement of youth offending is progressively emerging. This paper examines types of offending categorised into three areas of interest.

This paper seeks to argue that there are many failings in current responses to youth crime and antisocial behaviour in England and Wales, which means that the time is ripe for reform.

This paper summarises the analysis and recommendations of the Independent Commission on Youth Crime and Antisocial Behaviour, which in July 2010 published its report, Time for a Fresh Start, and a book, A New Response to Youth Crime, setting out the evidence on which the report was based. These are considered against a backdrop of failings of the current system and in the context of current cuts in public services.

The present system in England and Wales fails to resolve the tension between punishment and welfare in a coherent way. It is ineffective in preventing crime and reoffending, it targets the disadvantaged and it is incomprehensible to most young offenders. The Commission proposes that in future restorative justice should be the core of the youth justice system.

The paper argues that a reformed system would exert a stronger influence on young offenders, would be more satisfying to victims and would inspire greater confidence in the general public.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflection on the current trajectory of youth justice policy. The paper offers fresh insight into the changing face of youth justice.

The paper draws on a range of sources, including published journal articles and statistical evidence. In so doing it critically reviews relevant academic literature.

Three critical insights arise from the review. First, there are promising approaches emerging in youth justice organised around the principle of avoiding formal processing of young people where possible; such as, for example, Triage, the Youth Restorative Disposal, Youth Justice Liaison and Diversion schemes, the Swansea Bureau and the Durham Pre-Reprimand Disposal. Thus there is evidence of an emerging consensus, across the domains of policy, practice and legislation which seem to endorse the idea of community-based minimum intervention, supported by principles of offender rehabilitation and restoration. Second, whilst they have not intruded to any great extent in the sphere of youth justice so far, there is no doubt that the government is keen to extend the remit of Payment by Results schemes. Perhaps most concerning is the issue with private sector organisations engaging in “gaming activities” where maximising profit becomes the intention over enhancing the well-being of the young person. Third, it is argued that in order to reconcile the lack of user-led engagement of offenders, and experiences of disempowerment, the priority should be, throughout the Youth Justice System, to involve young people in assessment and decision-making processes.

As an exploratory paper, it does not set out to provide a blueprint on “how” the issues outlined should be resolved. Rather, it provides a basis for further discussion, and highlights some examples of promising practice, particularly around the issues of offender engagement, participation and rights compliance. This is particularly important considering that the UK government will report to the United Nations this year (2014) on its progress in implementing and complying with the children's right agenda.

The paper highlights the issues and ambiguities facing practitioners working within a payment by results framework which is contextualised by what appears to be a more liberal tone in public policy. It also explores the challenges delivering participatory approaches.

The paper investigates a neglected area in youth justice, namely that of participatory approaches. It argues that, although there are resource pressures and time constraints, service user participatory techniques should be encouraged, particularly as they promote positive engagement and motivation, principally by offering a sense of control over choice.

The luxury market in China has grown significantly in recent years. One unique characteristic of luxury consumers in China is their youth. While exploratory in nature, this study aims to identify and offer a meaningful understanding of different segments of young luxury consumers in China.

The data were obtained from personal interviews with 28 respondents between 20 and 25 years of age who were recruited via a mall‐interception method in three different high‐end department stores in Shanghai, China.

Based on key values, motivations, and behavior patterns toward luxury consumption, the authors identify four distinct segments of young luxury consumers: the overseas pack; the self‐established cool; the luxury followers; and the spirituals.

The study is based on a small sample consisting of 28 individuals.

While Chinese youth may share some traits as a collective group, they also have diverse reasons and patterns for luxury consumption. The authors identify at least four distinct segments whose values, motivations and behavior toward luxury are different from one another. Companies must consider the differences that exist within this generation to effectively approach this market.

While exploratory, the current study is the first to identify segments in luxury consumers among young generations in China.

The purpose of this paper is to apply an intersectional analysis to assess the impact of structural factors on the risk of being a NEET for youth in Spain. The author study if inequalities have changed after the economic crisis, once youth policies designed to improve the Spanish school-to-work transition (SWT) system were implemented.

Drawing on microdata from the Spanish Survey on Income and Living Conditions, the paper compares the probability of becoming not in employment, education or training (NEET) of young men and women born inside or outside Spain and living in different types of households.

Although unemployment rates have improved since the end of the crisis, the situation regarding youth employment, poverty and inequalities remains challenging. Gender and other structural differences are usually ignored in policy debates and in the measures adopted to fight youth unemployment, leading to the persistance of inequalities.

The analysis illustrates new lines and trajectories in the segmentation of youth labor markets along the lines of gender, household and country of origin.

The findings highlight the need for introducing an analysis of the different sources of vulnerability in policy designs in order to promote a real and sustainable change in SWTs.

The contribution of this research to the literature on NEET and SWT is to introduce a framework that allows for the intersectional analysis of gender and other structural inequalities.

The purpose of this paper is to determine how population ageing is related to economic growth as measured by real GDP per capita in Japan. This study is to address the following questions: first, how is population composition by age group related to economic change? Second, how is the dependency ratio related to economic change? And finally, what are the predictions for economic growth in the future? This study answers these questions in relation to Japan.

Regression methods were applied to single-country data for the period 1975-2011.

This study finds that an increase in the 70-74 population age group is associated with a decrease in economic growth, while an increase in the 75 and over population age group is associated with an increase in economic growth in Japan.

The relationships that were found in this study do not imply causation from demographic change to economic change.

One potential way of promoting sustainable economic growth under conditions of population ageing is to devise a comprehensive policy that focuses on demographic factors.

This study analyses population ageing and economic growth in Japan using single-country data by applying regression methods.