Discursive Representations of Young People in the Beetham Gardens : Marginalization, Discourses and Governmentality

“At risk” youth has become a buzzword within the international arena for several years. However, this term has only gained momentum within Trinidad and Tobago since 2008 upon the introduction of the Citizen Security Programme (CSP); a programme partially funded by the Inter American Development Bank. This programme specifically targets those living in “high needs” communities such as “at risk” youth. In this paper I argue that that this label, when deconstructed presents an image of young males who are prone to violence, crime and delinquency. This image becomes highly problematic when these young men live in an already marginalized community. The intersection of marginalization because of location together with age and gender can have potential harmful effects such as resulting in increased surveillance of this group.