The campaign was created in 2005 in response to research, commissioned by YouthNet and BYC, which showed that young people were increasingly concerned about their negative portrayal in both the media and politics. A summary of the resulting report 'Respect? The voice behind the hood' is available to download below.

The key aims of the Respect? campaign are to:

• Ensure that young people's views are at the heart of political debate

• Challenge the use of labels (stereotypes) in media coverage and government polemic

• Encourage decision-makers to directly involve people when drawing up policy and make

• informed judgement on youth issues.

Milestones

In the past five years the group has achieved a number of steps to help reach its goal. These include:

Lobbying outcomes:

• The government's youth strategy: Aiming high for young people: A 10 year strategy for positive activities acknowledged the Respect? research
• Early Day Motion (EDM) 1885 was tabled by the (then) Chair of the Labour party and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs (Dawn Butler MP) on July 11th 2007. It called for an end to negative representation, and (to date) has secured 115 signatories.

Launch of new phase

• In November 2008, the group launched a new drive to encourage young people to speak up in the media. Respect? young campaigners were joined by former BBC broadcaster and founder of YouthNet, Martyn Lewis, in London's Fleet St. Martyn posed for photos with members of the Respect? Young People's Advisory Group and a giant newspaper front-page prop
• On the same day, the Respect? Pledge was launched, with the intention of gathering 1,000 young people's signatures that they will speak up when they see a story in the media which affects them. To sign, go to: www.pledgebank.com/RespectSpeakUp. Please contact media@youthnet.org if you would like to receive Respect? postcards and help us promote the campaign
• In order to help young people contact the media, the group developed online tools and information about how to contact the press and give media interviews. These are available at www.TheSite.org/respect.

Media & PR

• In November 2008, Sophie Manning was interviewed on the BBC News Channel about young people's representation in the media and her work with the Respect? group, following a report produced by Barnardo's children charity that cited Respect? research
• The November 2008 launch was reported in the Guardian online, and the Guardian Society interviewed Respect? campaigner Liam Pearce. See the 'Respect? in the news' page for links.

Awards

• In July 2009, Liam Pearce of the Respect? campaign was awarded a Positive Images Award by Children & Young People Now magazine for 'Best involvement by a young person in promoting positive media portrayal.'

Be part of the campaign

Speak up for young people and join the campaign. If you're aged between 16 and 25-years-old and want the latest news on the Respect? campaign, join over 300 others on the Facebook group or visit YouthNet's Respect? campaign pages to find out how you can get involved.

Further information:

• Visit the Pledge website and sign-up: PledgeBank or Facebook
• Join the Facebook group
• Download the 'Respect? The voice behind the hood' and the Evaluation reports below.

For more information on the campaign, or to request an interview with a member of the group, please contact Gabriella Jozwiak, Media and PR Officer for YouthNet on 0207 250 5716 or email media@youthnet.org.