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Support needed for troubled teens

Emily O'Connell

Youth-led burglaries over the weekend are provoking questions about how we can help our young people.

Young people get into trouble because they're bored, says a youth worker following the arrest of four teenagers after a series of burglaries around Christchurch.

Kaiapoi's Challenge petrol station was robbed on Friday, then a Z Energy petrol station and the Ferrymead bottle Store were targetted early Saturday morning.

Linwood College Youth Worker Prisca Pieters said her role involved giving teenagers something fun and safe to do.

She said help was also needed with goal setting and planning for their futures.  

"If they think of their future now, then it can impact some of the decisions they make."

Pieters said there was a lot of support available for youth but they were not always willing to get help.

More from our interview with Pieters below.

Prisca Pieters on youth

Youth worker on why teenagers get in trouble