A teenager has spoken about youth violence and antisocial behaviour in Bermuda in Britain’s House of Commons.

Tayla Imani Bean was one of several young representatives from British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies who spoke at a gathering in the House this week.

Ms Bean, a member of Bermuda’s Youth Parliament, is the youngest Bermudian to speak in the House.

In her two-minute speech, Ms Bean attributed the island’s incidents of violence and antisocial behaviour to “social media, social standards and a lack of positive role models”.

She added: “The concept of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ has diminished and been replaced with a ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality.”

Ms Bean said that while people and organisations have been trying to tackle gang violence and antisocial behaviour on the island, “the most important stakeholders, the youth, have not been appropriately engaged”.

She said speaking at the House allowed her to “shed light on a critical issue concerning antisocial behaviour in Bermuda” as well as the “importance of prioritising the perspectives of our youth in addressing this significant problem”.

“This experience will undoubtedly influence my future endeavours in advocating for positive change and inclusivity on a broader scale.”

Dennis Lister, the Speaker of Bermuda’s House of Assembly, who selected Ms Bean to speak at the conference, said her speech aligned with the mission of Youth Parliament “to provide an atmosphere for young people to come together to discuss issues of the day from the perspective of the youth and to better understand the process for making changes”.

He added: “Her speech highlighted one of the issues identified within the strategy of the National Youth Policy and articulated the perspective as seen by the youth.”

Thanking Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, who invited the young people, Mr Lister said: “I am hopeful that more Bermudian youth will value the opportunity that Youth Parliament offers them to be able to address their issues not only in our Youth Parliament but also among the other Youth Parliaments throughout the Overseas Territories and at the UK Parliament.”

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Kimberley Durrant, representing Bermuda’s London office, said the event “signifies not only representation of Bermuda, but also educates future UK Members of Parliament and possible Government Ministers.

“We are proud to be a part of developing a key space for Bermuda’s youth to be heard on an international platform.”

Russell Lister, adviser for Bermuda’s Youth Parliament, said Ms Bean’s speech “stands as a beacon for inclusive dialogue and proactive action, both in Bermuda and beyond.

“Her historic achievement as Bermuda’s second and youngest representative in the UK Parliament makes us all proud.

“Bermuda should celebrate the impactful work of Tayla and all our dedicated Youth Parliamentarians.”