LONDON, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The majority of towns that experienced riots this summer are suffering from a "frayed" social fabric and "decades of underinvestment and hollowing out," according to a recent report.
Following the Southport stabbing in July, which resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries, false information about the suspect's nationality spread online, sparking a series of violent anti-immigration protests across Britain.
"While the level and ferocity of the violence was shocking, the fact that it took place in areas where the social fabric is frayed is not," the report says.
Published by the charitable trust Power to Change, the report uses the Social Fabric Index from the Onward think tank to analyze factors such as trust and civic engagement in British towns.
The report finds that 23 of the 27 cities and towns that experienced riots in the summer "performed below the median score" on the Social Fabric Index.
It points out that some communities face capacity challenges due to "successive decades of underinvestment and hollowing out," leaving them without enough human, organizational, and social capital needed to address local issues and connect people across divides.
The report also makes multiple recommendations for the government and councils, including increasing funding for community ownership, developing local social cohesion strategies, fostering trust through inter-group contact and empowerment, and supporting sustainable economic growth. ■