What does it look like when young people have power?

Reflections from a Scottish Youth Centre

Abstract

Abstract: This article critically examines the tensions surrounding youth empowerment within contemporary youth work practice. Although youth empowerment has become a widely recognised principle in youth policy and rights-based discourse, its implementation in everyday socio-educational contexts remains complex and often contradictory. Drawing on critical and relational approaches to youth work, the article argues that empowerment cannot be understood solely as an individual process, but must also address broader structural inequalities, unequal opportunities, and the conditions that shape young people’s participation and agency.The discussion is informed by the concept of alfirmo, understood as conveying belief in people’s capacity for positive change while providing care, compassion, and meaningful support. While youth work has long been associated with opportunities for personal growth and democratic participation, provision often continues to position young people as “citizens in training”, limiting the transformative potential of empowerment practices and their connection to wider community or structural change. This tension persists despite the radical tradition of youth work grounded in Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy and collective transformation. The article draws on two youth empowerment workshops conducted within a youth project: one involving seven young people and another involving fifteen youth workers. Through reflective discussion and qualitative analysis, the findings identify three key opportunities for youth workers to challenge inequality and strengthen empowering practice: overcoming adult-centric discourses, fostering positive relational support, and creating reflective spaces within professional practice. The article concludes by emphasising the importance of relational, critical, and structurally aware approaches to youth empowerment in contemporary youth work.