Young people fear negative stereotyping

Teenagers believe negative stereotyping is affecting their chances of getting a job.

1,000 young people aged between 14 and 17 were questioned by the think-tank Demos. Four out of five believed they were unfairly represented in the media, and the majority of those said it was denting their ability to find work.

The Demos report says words like 'binge-drinking', 'yobs' and 'crime' were most commonly associated with young people in the media; contrasting with positive descriptions like 'caring' and 'hard-working', used by their teachers.

Robert Austin from Newcastle set up a website called Teenwise to celebrate the achievements of his peers around the country. While studying, he has tried to find part-time work, without success.

The picture is not so bleak everywhere. This time last year, David Middleton was an IT apprentice. Now he is working full-time for the Sunderland company which provided his training. He says success is a combination of the right skills and the right attitude.

Elsewhere, the Demos survey goes on shatter some misconceptions of young people, suggesting they are more interested in social issues than previous generations.

Watch my full report here: