'They're often not heard': Hip hop helping kids find words for the feelings

"Looking at myself, trying to find where I'll go. Devil on my back, but angels in my soul … "

These are hip hop lyrics written by 15-year-old Befiker.

"It's just a story of how my life's been going [these] past two years, ups and downs," he said.

"[I] just want to put it out there so people can understand what's happened."

The budding artist said songwriting has helped him to "express how I feel so people can understand, without me having to actually talk to them".

Befiker has taken part in a newly launched hip hop writing program called You're Write.

The program provides free fortnightly workshops for young people aged 12-25 and is led by Tasmanian artist and youth worker, Kieran Lonergan — also known as 'Kiz'.

Like Befiker, Lonergan uses hip hop writing as a "self-expression tool".

"Oftentimes I'd start writing music and then all of a sudden [there were] quite heavy experiences that happened when I was younger that would come out in the lyrics," Lonergan said.

'Lack of opportunity' in Tassie

Funded by Arts Tasmania, in collaboration with Lonergan's business SEVENTHREE, the You're Write program aims to fill a gap in Tasmania's youth support offerings.

The workshops provide opportunities to develop writing skills, record music, and practise performing, whilst creating a consistent, safe space for connection and mentoring.

"I wish that I had this when I was young,"

Lonergan said.

The 26-year-old spent most of his childhood in Tasmania and faced challenges growing up in a regional state.

"The lack of opportunity here, I think, definitely creates some quite negative pockets that young people can get fit into," he said.

"I felt like … I constantly had to have my guard up, and I couldn't really express who I truly was.

"You can only imagine what a young person is going to resort to when they're not really being themselves and they're constantly looking at external stuff to feel validated."

The workshops could help keep kids on the right path

Having worked in the community sector for eight years, Lonergan is well informed about the challenges young people face, including youth crime.

His reflections on the issue were one of the motivations for You're Write.

"[The answer isn't] just more police … that's not going to change anything," he said.

"There's a reason why young people are doing these things; it's not because you wake up and that's just the way that you are.

"Instead of just putting in more barricades, how can we put in things to actually support these young people?"

Senior lecturer in criminology, Loene Howes, said that engagement and belonging were key factors in youth crime prevention.

"It's really important to think about young people being engaged and feeling a sense of belonging and being part of the society," Dr Howes said.

"There are a small proportion of young people who might repeatedly commit crime or commit escalating crimes, and they're often the most vulnerable people who have faced a lot of adverse experiences.

"There can be crimes that are a little bit of a cry for help."

The UTAS lecturer said that "we as a society have not provided what [these young people] need to be able to thrive".

"They need to feel safe. They need people in their lives who they can trust and who are always there for them. They need to have fun with friends. They need good relationships."

Dr Howes said that, whilst it's difficult to measure the impact that programs like You're Write can have on youth crime, the workshops could be "life-changing" for some young people.

"Doing an activity together is a way of talking about things that might be concerning the young person without the sort of feeling of pressure,"

she said.

Giving young people a voice

The workshops are for youth of all backgrounds and Lonergan has already seen positive impacts on those who have taken part.

"[Participants are] already talking about some of the deepest stuff they've been through in life," he said.

"Just imagine the amount of weight that that can take off a young person if they're able to come to a space, speak about what's actually on their mind and then leave just with that weight off,"

he said.

Latrelle, 14, was encouraged to attend a workshop by his support worker.

He said he's eager to come back "every time it's on".

"It just helps me forget about a lot of things, bad things, and just makes me feel better because I'm around the people that I know and that I respect," Latrelle said.

Lonergan said the biggest purpose of the program is to "give young people a voice".

"They're often not heard. They're disregarded," he said.

"Their thoughts and opinions are kind of put at the bottom of a conversation or a topic. They're misrepresented in a lot of conversations.

"That's our future generation.

"We really need to invest time and care and love into these young people because they're going to be the ones that grow up and create our future."