There are many reasons why we offend - early impressions count a great deal. Parent - Child communication is a must from as early as possible. I don't believe that we are born to be criminals but circumstances in our childhood lead us towards: 'The Slippery Slope'

What is the slippery slope?

1. You don't listen to your parents.

2. You don't listen to your teachers.

3. You believe you know it all already.

4. You think you're really hard.

5. Money is going to come my way and I won't have to work for it.

6. I'll follow my friend's advice - not my own.

7. How will I spend my time: hang around on the streets behaving how I want, smoking puff and being cool.

The 'Slippery Slope' is my interpretation of how I ruined my life. Each one of the following seven points I've listed is relevant to me:

1. Parents. I didn't see my Mum and Dad for what they were or what their job as parents was supposed to be. You start to question them. 'Hello' whats he going on about. Parents are there to look after me, to give me what I want and to argue with when they're in my face. Now I'm a parent and have been for 25 years and can see where my parents went wrong with me and where I've gone wrong with my children, i.e. the break up of the family unit due to a lack of education and guidance.

2. Teachers. Blimey. Who the hell are they? I'm in their class and I don't really understand what's being said so its far easier to talk to my mates or try and disrupt the lesson. I might even give it large to the teacher. What are they going to do? All they seem to do is talk rubbish and shout at me when they're not getting their own way. Hell to them and what do they know anyway!

3. Know it all. I was 10 minutes into a presentation a few years ago saying to the young people that you sit there looking at me as if I was born an adult and I know nothing; then a lad put his hand up and asked if he could question me. "Ask away", I said. "What makes you think you know more than me". I replied: "How old are you?". "15", he said. "Well I'm 50 work so it out for yourself". That was my trouble: you couldn't tell me anything, i.e. I knew it all.

4. Being Hard. The kids love the interaction between teacher and student. I tell the kids that I want a volunteer up on the stage because we're going to have a fight: right here, right now and in front of everyone. I explain that if you think you can kick the hell out of me then come up and give it a try. I always ask for the lad who walks round the school giving it large to step forward, but they never do. So a volunteer is called for. I make them think its going be a real fight between us, but I then pull up a small table and two chairs and ask them for an arm wrestle. Its great fun! Not to mention the snooker balls, the plastic cup and the rubber glove.

5. Listen to your friends. Growing up as a kid was very difficult for me. I had no confidence in myself and was easily led. What life was about wasn't explained to me, so who ever my friends were at the time I did things to please them, believing they would like me for it rather than believing in myself. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, but it just means you become a late developer and you slowly learn about life and people and how they can be towards each other. It takes a lifetime to learn.

6. Monies Coming. As a young man I was brought up in care homes as well as at home with my Mum and Dad. To others like me thats known as a 'broken home' or at least that's what I now know it to be. All sorts of problems to work through: rejection, total confusion, emotional scars, left to think for myself, poor education and I started stealing. Why? No idea. but it seemed like a good idea at the time. A few sweets from classmates pockets or the shop - this is easy. I thought I could make a living from this, but with a long criminal history I ended up having no life.

7. Passing time. When you try to explain to a student the benefit of an education, someone like me dosn't really listen. The last points will tell you that. Being 'street' is seen as being cool. That's where the action is. The wheeling and dealing, the ducking and diving and you feel safe in your own little world. Dealing in a bit of 'solid' or 'green' or something a little bit more, such as Crack and Smack. It's quick and easy money and best of all, you are your own boss. What a fantastic life I'm going to have, or so you think. You won't and even if you avoid prison for a bit, you'll become paranoid, reclusive and always looking over your shoulder - this is NOT a good life.

Looking back over my years, I now see the gift we are all given and what we can do with it, i.e. life, but when you get to my age and reflect, you see what a mess you made of it. The 'Slippery Slope' is designed to get you to take a step back. To stop and think about what you do before you actually do it. When you finally realise the drugs and drink no longer work and you're lost in a sea of confusion and total disbelief, can you turn it around and change? Rhetorically 'Yes'. It's never too late.

Charles Young