‘Silence is Virtual’: Youth Violence, Belonging, Death and Mourning

Abstract

The chapter will consider how young people navigate ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ spaces both in the real and the virtual world and how such spaces impact the lived experiences of young people, who are caught up in youth crime and violence. It will therefore contribute to the ongoing discussions on youth gangs, ‘black on black violence’, youth crime and young people’s engagement with social media. As many young people are turning to social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, to identifiably or anonymously express their condolences and in several instances address the issues that are for them the causal factors behind the loss of these young lives. Therefore, consideration will be given to how young people navigate their ‘endz’ (neighbourhoods) and how they utilise online platforms, as life and death spaces to communicate real, imagined and silenced emotions.