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Squamish residents will get a chance tonight to talk about the bad publicity the town received when three U.S. tourists were attacked at a campground by a throng of roving teens.

The anti-violence forum, set up by James Miller, the Delta-based founder of End Youth Violence, starts at 6 p.m. at the Best Western Sea-to-Sky Hotel.

Miller, a father of four and a bus driver who often travels the Sea-to-Sky Highway, said the problem of teen violence needs to be addressed publicly.

"By no means is youth violence solely in Squamish," he said. "It's in every community in North America."

Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland said the community has been doing some soul-searching since the four tourists were attacked on the Canada Day long weekend at the Kinsmen municipal campground on Loggers Lane. Soon after, more campers were terrorized.

He said teens in Squamish are upset that people believe the area is full of bad kids.

"A lot of the young people have stepped forward and said we don't want this community known for that," he said.

Washington state resident Jeremy Dahl, 28, was one of the Americans terrorized on the Canada Day long weekend.

He said $2,000 damage was caused to their camping equipment and vehicles, a bill Sutherland has promised to pay.

Dahl doubts he'll go back to Squamish.

"I have no desire to go back to Squamish," he said. "I think they're definitely out of control. And until they pay some consequences, nothing will change. They're a wild bunch of kids."

Squamish RCMP Cpl. Greg Mainman said police have yet to lay charges.

jcolebourn@png.canwest.com