KS3 PSHE for Pupils: In and Out of Trouble

0001 10:00:06:01 10:00:09:13

I've been in trouble with the police

about six times altogether.

0002 10:00:09:13 10:00:11:15

When I was first arrested, I was 13.

0003 10:00:16:04 10:00:19:24

I was wagging school and

I got arrested for criminal damage

0004 10:00:19:24 10:00:23:11

on some traffic lights

and I was taken to the station.

0005 10:00:28:05 10:00:29:11

Put in a cell.

0006 10:00:35:05 10:00:37:14

It's got a bed in there,

0007 10:00:37:14 10:00:39:22

a window and a door.

0008 10:00:39:22 10:00:41:11

Hanging.

0009 10:00:41:11 10:00:43:18

I was scared when I got there

0010 10:00:43:18 10:00:45:05

and when I was in the cell.

0011 10:00:48:15 10:00:50:17

Just scared.

0012 10:00:51:22 10:00:53:24

I stayed out of trouble

for two months.

0013 10:00:53:24 10:00:56:22

Then me and me mate

done a street robbery.

0014 10:00:56:22 10:01:01:06

We were wagging school when we

saw a student walking towards us

0015 10:01:01:06 10:01:04:01

talking on his mobile phone.

0016 10:01:04:01 10:01:08:07

We looked at each other and my mate

said, "I'm having his phone."

0017 10:01:08:07 10:01:10:05

So we decided to rip it off him.

0018 10:01:10:05 10:01:14:10

Not for any reason really.

We was just bored.

0019 10:01:17:12 10:01:20:00

I didn't really think

anything of it at the time,

0020 10:01:20:00 10:01:21:15

but I felt bad afterwards.

0021 10:01:21:15 10:01:24:10

We got away and...

0022 10:01:24:10 10:01:27:21

the guy was driving round with

the police when they caught us.

0023 10:01:27:21 10:01:32:02

He pointed us out when

we was walking down the street.

0024 10:01:32:02 10:01:37:10

The police come over and said,

"I'm arresting you for robbery."

0025 10:01:37:10 10:01:39:21

Went to the police station.

0026 10:01:39:21 10:01:42:24

Both got interviewed, charged.

0027 10:01:43:14 10:01:46:03

Then we had to go to court.

0028 10:01:47:18 10:01:49:13

I was scared when we went in court

0029 10:01:49:13 10:01:52:21

cos I didn't know

what was gonna happen.

0030 10:01:52:21 10:01:55:18

When I went in, they took

my name, my date of birth,

0031 10:01:55:18 10:01:57:22

the details of the robbery.

0032 10:01:59:06 10:02:02:19

Sentenced me to six months and

I knew I was going to a secure unit.

0033 10:02:03:15 10:02:06:04

Secure unit was for age 16 or under

0034 10:02:06:04 10:02:08:07

and I felt scared

cos I weren't at home.

0035 10:02:09:24 10:02:13:05

A normal day would be like

normal education in school,

0036 10:02:13:05 10:02:15:21

but you're just in one room all day.

0037 10:02:15:21 10:02:19:11

There was pool tables

in there, computers.

0038 10:02:20:06 10:02:23:18

Badminton and tennis and that,

football.

0039 10:02:23:21 10:02:26:16

The thing I missed most is freedom,

0040 10:02:26:16 10:02:31:03

not going out with me mates and

not being able to eat what I want.

0041 10:02:31:17 10:02:35:24

After I got let out,

I did another phone robbery.

0042 10:02:43:18 10:02:47:22

I got sentenced to 12 months

in a young defenders' institute.

0043 10:02:50:22 10:02:55:01

It was really bad in there. It was

different than the secure unit.

0044 10:02:55:01 10:02:58:11

I was only allowed one visit a week

even though I was only 15.

0045 10:03:00:18 10:03:03:12

My cell just had a bed,

a wardrobe and a sink.

0046 10:03:06:07 10:03:10:15

People just stare at you in there

cos... new face,

0047 10:03:10:15 10:03:12:14

so you have to stick up

for yourself.

0048 10:03:12:14 10:03:15:18

I just had to keep my head down

and stay out of trouble.

0049 10:03:17:00 10:03:20:16

I got let out after seven months

for good behaviour.

0050 10:03:20:16 10:03:24:11

I haven't done any offences

recently. I don't plan to either.

0051 10:03:24:11 10:03:27:16

I've been coming to Newton Heath

Youth Project for two years.

0052 10:03:30:01 10:03:33:21

I like coming here

cos it's not like school.

0053 10:03:33:21 10:03:36:00

You don't have teachers

but youth workers,

0054 10:03:36:00 10:03:39:10

and a tutor comes in

two days a week.

0055 10:03:41:10 10:03:46:03

I do my school work, but I can also

play pool and listen to music.

0056 10:03:47:22 10:03:51:10

Since I've moved out of

the other part of Manchester

0057 10:03:52:01 10:03:54:03

and I've started coming here,

0058 10:03:54:03 10:03:55:23

I've changed

0059 10:03:55:23 10:03:58:09

and I've found better mates.

0060 10:03:59:06 10:04:01:13

They don't commit robberies.

0061 10:04:04:01 10:04:06:16

My mum's really proud of me cos...

0062 10:04:07:13 10:04:10:00

I feel like I've grown up.

0063 10:04:13:19 10:04:15:15

The first time I took drugs,

0064 10:04:15:15 10:04:19:21

we was in my bedroom

getting ready to go out.

0065 10:04:23:21 10:04:27:06

My friend turned round and said,

"Shall we have some pills tonight?"

0066 10:04:27:06 10:04:31:04

I said, "What are they?"

and she said, "It's, like, ecstasy."

0067 10:04:31:04 10:04:33:17

"You take it and it makes you

have a good night."

0068 10:04:33:17 10:04:36:21

I was scared to at first.

I thought, "What if I die off it

0069 10:04:36:21 10:04:39:06

or it turns bad on me?"

0070 10:04:39:06 10:04:42:10

So I thought,

"No, I won't take one."

0071 10:04:42:10 10:04:45:12

But then it was paranoia as well,

cos they was taking it

0072 10:04:45:12 10:04:49:18

and I felt like the black sheep out

of them as I weren't having none.

0073 10:04:52:04 10:04:55:17

When I woke up the next morning

after taking the ecstasy

0074 10:04:55:17 10:04:58:21

I was dead dehydrated,

so I needed loads of drink.

0075 10:04:58:21 10:05:03:23

I was dead tired, cos I'd had

no sleep, I'd been up all night.

0076 10:05:03:23 10:05:08:10

Me and my mate knew these guys

and they had some ecstasy.

0077 10:05:08:10 10:05:11:14

They said, "Do you want some? We

know you take 'em when you go out."

0078 10:05:11:14 10:05:13:02

So we said, "All right."

0079 10:05:14:24 10:05:18:20

It started from that night

to every day,

0080 10:05:18:20 10:05:21:07

and, like, wagging school,

0081 10:05:21:07 10:05:24:00

and taking drugs

and smoking weed every day.

0082 10:05:27:17 10:05:30:18

When you're high, it feels like

0083 10:05:30:18 10:05:33:08

you just don't care

about anything around you.

0084 10:05:33:08 10:05:35:23

It blocks everything out.

0085 10:05:35:23 10:05:38:01

When we first started

taking ecstasy

0086 10:05:38:01 10:05:41:08

it was just one tablet on a weekend.

0087 10:05:41:08 10:05:45:01

Then it was going up more each time

because we weren't getting a buzz.

0088 10:05:45:01 10:05:48:14

It was going up to

four or five at a time.

0089 10:05:52:13 10:05:55:03

My mum first knew I was taking drugs

0090 10:05:55:03 10:05:59:18

because I had no sleep and

I was always angry all the time.

0091 10:05:59:18 10:06:03:00

I lost loads of weight through it

and she knew it weren't me

0092 10:06:03:00 10:06:06:16

cos I didn't lose weight

dead easy like that.

0093 10:06:06:16 10:06:10:00

I started arguing with my mum,

like, all the time.

0094 10:06:10:00 10:06:13:22

Then that was scaring me cos

I thought, "I'm gonna lose my mum."

0095 10:06:13:22 10:06:17:18

Well, just leave me alone

and just get on with your own life.

0096 10:06:17:18 10:06:20:05

So I knew it was time

to start coming off 'em

0097 10:06:20:05 10:06:23:04

and I knew I was getting

really hooked on them.

0098 10:06:25:05 10:06:28:18

When I decided to tell my mum

and say that I was on drugs,

0099 10:06:28:18 10:06:31:21

I just said, "Sit down, Mum.

We need to talk."

0100 10:06:31:21 10:06:35:18

So we just started talking and

then that's how it all just went.

0101 10:06:35:18 10:06:38:13

I was quite surprised

at myself as well,

0102 10:06:38:13 10:06:43:12

cos her not being angry at me -

she was more helping than anything.

0103 10:06:43:12 10:06:47:18

They phoned a helpline about drugs

and they sent us information out.

0104 10:06:47:18 10:06:51:00

We got loads of information packs

from the doctor's and that,

0105 10:06:51:00 10:06:53:12

and that helped me

more than anything,

0106 10:06:53:12 10:06:55:12

and I had support from my mum.

0107 10:07:04:04 10:07:06:15

I was scared at first

when I stopped taking 'em

0108 10:07:06:15 10:07:08:19

cos I thought I might just be worse,

0109 10:07:08:19 10:07:11:13

because my system's

used to having them,

0110 10:07:11:13 10:07:17:12

so it might hurt me

because I need them in my system,

0111 10:07:17:12 10:07:19:21

because my system's

used to that now.

0112 10:07:21:14 10:07:24:20

When, like,

I was coming off the drugs,

0113 10:07:24:20 10:07:28:03

it was dead tiring

and it was just like...

0114 10:07:28:03 10:07:31:21

I was just getting strength back

like a baby just being born

0115 10:07:31:21 10:07:34:01

and just learning how to walk.

0116 10:07:34:01 10:07:35:17

It was hard as well

0117 10:07:35:17 10:07:39:18

because I'd see my mates and

they'd all be high and everything,

0118 10:07:39:18 10:07:42:00

and I knew that

I could be doing that.

0119 10:07:42:00 10:07:45:17

They'd be like, "You're boring, not

coming out and taking them no more."

0120 10:07:45:17 10:07:48:15

But I didn't want to wreck my life

and I tried telling them,

0121 10:07:48:15 10:07:50:20

but they wouldn't listen.

0122 10:07:52:20 10:07:56:16

I was always confused

and I just wasn't with you.

0123 10:07:56:16 10:08:00:19

You could be talking to me

and I just wouldn't pay attention.

0124 10:08:00:19 10:08:04:02

I felt really emotional as well

coming off the drugs.

0125 10:08:04:02 10:08:06:02

Every time I'd argue with my mum,

0126 10:08:06:02 10:08:08:24

instead of shouting back

I'd just sit there and cry

0127 10:08:08:24 10:08:11:10

and think, "The drugs

have done this to me."

0128 10:08:15:01 10:08:18:13

It took me about four or five months

to get off the drugs

0129 10:08:18:13 10:08:21:10

and eventually my friends

stopped taking them too.

0130 10:08:21:10 10:08:23:24

Now we've got our lives

back on track

0131 10:08:23:24 10:08:27:22

and the drugs were just

a bad part of our life.

0132 10:08:27:22 10:08:29:12

My mum now, she's proud of me.

0133 10:08:29:12 10:08:32:24

She sees a different side to me

completely. We don't argue as much.

0134 10:08:32:24 10:08:35:20

We just argue like

a mother and daughter does.

0135 10:08:35:20 10:08:40:10

At the time I thought, "I'm just

doing what ordinary teenagers do."

0136 10:08:40:10 10:08:43:20

But when I look back now

it feels like it was ages ago

0137 10:08:43:20 10:08:45:23

cos I've matured from it

0138 10:08:45:23 10:08:50:23

and I don't advise kids to go

down that road cos it's not nice.

0139 10:09:03:11 10:09:08:13

One morning, I went to a mate's

house like I do every morning.

0140 10:09:08:13 10:09:12:06

When I went down, we just both

decided not to go to school.

0141 10:09:12:06 10:09:14:09

- Shall we wag it? Maths.

- Might as well.

0142 10:09:14:09 10:09:16:04

None of us like it, do we?

0143 10:09:16:04 10:09:20:20

We both had maths at the time

and we both was not good at maths.

0144 10:09:20:20 10:09:24:02

So both of us decided

not to go in school

0145 10:09:24:02 10:09:26:20

just cos we was rubbish

at maths basically.

0146 10:09:27:09 10:09:30:20

That morning we left my mate's house

as usual and went to school

0147 10:09:30:20 10:09:32:06

and got our registration mark

0148 10:09:32:06 10:09:35:12

cos some lads told us

that's how you don't get caught.

0149 10:09:35:12 10:09:38:17

Then after the registration

we just hid.

0150 10:09:39:09 10:09:41:21

We walked about the streets

for an hour

0151 10:09:41:21 10:09:44:06

and then we walked

to a derelict house

0152 10:09:44:06 10:09:47:15

where a few other people

used to truant as well.

0153 10:09:47:15 10:09:49:10

There's John.

0154 10:09:53:15 10:09:56:02

(laughs) That's how bad you look.

0155 10:09:56:02 10:10:00:13

I was a bit worried at first in case

the teachers found out and my mum,

0156 10:10:00:13 10:10:03:01

so I was saying to my mate,

"We'll get caught."

0157 10:10:03:01 10:10:04:18

He was like that, "We're not."

0158 10:10:04:18 10:10:07:01

Then we didn't,

and that's when I was buzzing

0159 10:10:07:01 10:10:08:20

cos we didn't get caught.

0160 10:10:08:20 10:10:13:00

When I come home, my mum asked me

how it went in school.

0161 10:10:13:00 10:10:16:00

- How was your day at school?

- All right.

0162 10:10:16:00 10:10:18:07

I felt glad

and I felt like doing it again.

0163 10:10:18:07 10:10:21:24

Cos I got away with it once, I felt

like I could get away with it again.

0164 10:10:22:09 10:10:24:13

I went in school

a couple of days a week

0165 10:10:24:13 10:10:27:23

so the teachers thought

I was still coming in.

0166 10:10:27:23 10:10:30:05

Some days I used

to go back up to school,

0167 10:10:30:05 10:10:32:23

get my dinner, get the mark

and then come back out.

0168 10:10:32:23 10:10:34:11

We'd come back at normal times

0169 10:10:34:11 10:10:37:18

so our mums would think

we'd been in school.

0170 10:10:37:18 10:10:42:04

Altogether I was wagging it

for at least three to four months.

0171 10:10:42:04 10:10:44:10

I went in one day.

I was in the form room

0172 10:10:44:10 10:10:46:19

and the headteacher

called me to his office.

0173 10:10:46:19 10:10:49:18

He phoned my mum.

Mum met me in the office.

0174 10:10:49:18 10:10:52:22

And he just said, "I'm not having it

any more. You have to go."

0175 10:10:52:22 10:10:54:24

"Find somewhere else."

0176 10:10:54:24 10:11:00:00

I didn't think the headteacher

would kick me out for truanting.

0177 10:11:00:00 10:11:02:23

I thought he would have put me

on report card or something,

0178 10:11:02:23 10:11:07:16

but never kick me out.

I had no education then.

0179 10:11:07:16 10:11:09:02

Get in here!

0180 10:11:09:02 10:11:12:02

When I got expelled,

Mum and Dad shouted at me.

0181 10:11:12:02 10:11:15:04

- The school's lying.

- They can't be lying all this time.

0182 10:11:15:04 10:11:16:24

They've kicked you out now.

0183 10:11:16:24 10:11:21:13

They started going mad, saying

I'm not going out for a month.

0184 10:11:21:13 10:11:23:16

Then I started answering back,

0185 10:11:23:16 10:11:26:03

and then I just ended up grounded

for longer.

0186 10:11:26:03 10:11:29:21

- You're sad.

- You're grounded, getting expelled.

0187 10:11:29:21 10:11:34:08

Then I had to sit in my room for

ages, while all my mates was out.

0188 10:11:40:06 10:11:44:04

I got expelled just before

the six weeks' holidays

0189 10:11:44:04 10:11:49:12

and after the six weeks' holidays

I got sent to some new education.

0190 10:11:49:12 10:11:53:04

It's called

the Newton Heath Youth Project.

0191 10:11:54:03 10:11:55:16

Newton Heath Youth Project

0192 10:11:55:16 10:11:58:02

is for kids

who've been thrown out of school,

0193 10:11:58:02 10:12:01:03

don't go to school any more,

got no education.

0194 10:12:01:03 10:12:05:05

So you go there and they build up

your education again.

0195 10:12:05:05 10:12:08:06

On Monday, we do maths.

0196 10:12:08:06 10:12:10:19

On a Tuesday, we'll do English.

0197 10:12:11:14 10:12:14:24

Then on a Wednesday,

we do citizenship.

0198 10:12:14:24 10:12:18:23

Then, Thursday and Friday,

we have fun days,

0199 10:12:18:23 10:12:21:13

like play pool or football.

0200 10:12:21:13 10:12:23:02

Choose a colour.

0201 10:12:23:02 10:12:29:09

Newton Heath youth support staff's

not as harsh as teachers in school.

0202 10:12:29:09 10:12:33:22

And if you need help with your work

- like I need help with my maths -

0203 10:12:33:22 10:12:37:12

I tell one of the teachers

and they'll help me on my own.

0204 10:12:37:12 10:12:40:24

Then they'll keep helping me

till I pick it up.

0205 10:12:40:24 10:12:44:09

Some of it's difficult,

because it always is.

0206 10:12:44:09 10:12:47:16

They can't give you work you can do,

cos then you fly through it.

0207 10:12:47:16 10:12:50:21

Paragraph three - "Of Mice and Men".

0208 10:12:50:21 10:12:54:23

In English at the moment

we're studying "Of Mice and Men".

0209 10:12:54:23 10:12:57:17

We wrote a big long essay about it.

0210 10:12:57:17 10:13:01:05

We had to transform it

into a story of our own

0211 10:13:01:05 10:13:03:06

and put scenes of our own in it.

0212 10:13:03:06 10:13:06:21

I've been going to that Newton Heath

Youth Project for six months

0213 10:13:06:21 10:13:08:24

and I've not wagged

one single day of it.

0214 10:13:08:24 10:13:10:13

It's not worth wagging.

0215 10:13:10:13 10:13:14:21

You might be having a laugh at the

time with your friends truanting,

0216 10:13:14:21 10:13:17:13

but when it mounts up

all the work you've missed,

0217 10:13:17:13 10:13:20:08

you ain't got a clue.

You're not getting the marks.

0218 10:13:20:08 10:13:23:12

Some of the brainy people

might be bullied, called geeks.

0219 10:13:23:12 10:13:27:22

They're winning. They're the ones

having an education and a job.

0220 10:13:27:22 10:13:30:17

- Makes sense, doesn't it?

- OK. All right.

0221 10:13:30:17 10:13:34:07

I feel my life's better since

I've been going to Newton Heath.

0222 10:13:34:07 10:13:36:12

Well better.

I've got more education.

0223 10:13:36:12 10:13:39:02

I'm more liable to get a job now.

0224 10:13:47:18 10:13:50:03

Visiontext Subtitles:

Sarah Emery

0225 10:13:50:03 10:13:52:03