TEENAGERS have joined forces with professionals to try and change the attitudes and behaviour of young people.

The Swindon Local Safeguarding Children Board (LCSB)'s annual conference at the University of Bath's Oakfield campus, entitled Risky Behaviours', took place yesterday.

It involved a range of services including the police, social services, education and health professionals and youth workers.

It encompassed a wide range of talks from missing people, child exploitation and trafficking of young people to the health risks surrounding alcohol, drugs and sex.

Jean Pollard, chairwoman of the LCSB management group, said: "We need to understand what the issues are and how we respond to them."

Teenagers and young adults from Shout Productions, a drama company made up of teachers and students from Swindon College, performed a series of plays about issues affecting young people.

Dale Quince, 17, of Park North, a member of Shout Productions, who performed in the mini-plays, said drugs in his area were all too easy to come by.

He said: "It's a problem and it's nice for police and social services to have younger people's perspectives and see our views so we can say what it's like living in a problem area of Swindon.

"Lots of people have come up to me and said it was really good - people have said it was nice to get the young person's perspective and it has actually opened their eyes."

Ms Pollard was pleased with the progress of the day because it gave people in different services a chance to compare notes.

She said: "We have to put it in perspective - these issues are not a bigger problem in Swindon than anywhere else. There is no simple solution.

"Some of it is about how we help young people to know what risks they are taking. We're never going to stop young people taking risks, but we're getting people to think about what makes them safer."

The talks focused in particular on the role of alcohol, drugs and sex in young people's lives and also how they are closely interlinked.

Milly Carmichael, the multi-agency training co-ordinator with Swindon Council, raised the problems and the difficulties faced with controlling them.

She said: "There are actually quite lot of young people that are doing okay on their own with family, friends and emotional support as standard."

She went through the dangers of alcohol and drugs such as vulnerability to sexual assault.

Ms Pollard believes alcohol is a major concern because although the figures of people seeking help are often hard drug related, this is largely because people who drink do not always realise or accept they have a problem.

Ms Carmichael pointed out problems including the sexual undertones on children's dolls and clothing as well as the restrictions on anti-drinking, smoking or sexual precautions campaigns.

At present nationally £600m is spent advertising alcohol and only four per cent of that on the harm it causes.