GroenLinkse Young people want to break taboo on youth debt

Today, DWARS, the political youth organisation of GroenLinks, is launching a campaign against the prevailing taboo on debt among young people. Research shows that 1 in 7 young people have problematic debt that they are often afraid to talk about and thus do not seek help for. The youth organisation sees this as a major problem because it prevents more than 300,000 young people from starting their adult lives financially healthy.

DWARS chairman Bas van Weegberg: "Debt is not always your own fault. Debt often comes from job loss or unexpected expenses. There is a big taboo on debt and that is a problem. Being aware of the causes is a good first step towards solving this huge problem."

The campaign should ensure that the social debate on youth debt is sparked. "By focusing on the real causes, we hope to break the automatic link between debt and wrong choices," Van Weegberg believes. "We don't want more young people in depression while they already have problematic debts.

With this campaign, DWARS wants to ensure that young people facing problematic debts seek help for this and realise that they are not the only ones.