BY HANNAH GRAHAM

“Teenager arrested” and “15-year-old facing years behind bars” are just a few of the dozens of bad headlines involving young people where, sadly, some of them have lost their way and made mistakes or just chosen the wrong path.

In modern society, young people are often seen as insignificant, troublesome and disrespectful, so this is the way we are sometimes represented in the media.

All across Dorset there are young people who are campaigning for great changes in their area by involving themselves in their local communities and councils, for example, Dorset Youth Council.

There are youth groups and clubs all over the county and all of the work that these outstanding young people do is sometimes upstaged by the small minority of youths who aspire to give us all a bad name.

Even though there are people trying to make a positive impact on their community, it is sometimes not publicised enough in order to make way for ‘bad’ news.

This builds up an impression of young people that isn’t true or fair - this could change if more young people help to bring more ‘good’ news about youths.

If you are a young person who wants to bring about positive changes to your school, area and county then find out about the nearest youth group, for example Dorset Youth Council Enables, and help us create a more positive representation of young people in the media.