We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence.
The Youth Endowment Fund is a UK charity dedicated to youth research and evidence-led action to prevent violence affecting children and young people.
We believe that no child should be affected by violence.
We research youth violence to understand how and why it affects children and young people; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement across England and Wales to end it.
FIND OUT WHAT WORKS
Youth Endowment Fund Toolkit
We’ve developed the YEF Toolkit as a free online resource for youth organisations, practitioners and policymakers across England and Wales, helping you put evidence of what works to prevent serious violence into action.
Find out what’s effective for your area of work, and how we can collaboratively help make a positive change to the lives of young people at risk of violence.
Sectors
To help us make the biggest difference over the ten years of our endowment, we’ve selected seven sectors across England and Wales where we’ll use evidence to identify what works and what needs to change, so that children are better supported and violence reduces.
For each sector we’ll produce practice and systems guidance, alongside online and in-person events to join.
Our Guidance Hub provides evidence-based practice and system guidance reports to protect children from involvement in violence in your sector.
Education
Youth Justice
Children’s Services
Policing
Health
Youth
Neighbourhoods
Our latest youth research reports
Explore independent youth research, evaluation and guidance reports examining what works to prevent violence across England and Wales:
- Report
Report:Beyond the Headlines 2026
About the report Beyond the Headlines is our annual look at key trends and data on violence affecting children and young people. We use 11 indicators to track whether things are getting better or worse, and how well the systems that matter most for supporting children and young people are performing. This year we’ve added a new indicator… - System Guidance
Report:Youth sector policy and violence prevention
Violence affects too many children and young people across England and Wales. In our Children, violence and vulnerability report, nearly one in five 13–17-year-olds reported being a victim of violence in the past year, and one in eight reported committing violence. The impact is serious, long-lasting, and extends far beyond those directly involved. Recommendations Reforming funding 1 Consolidate funding through…Youth Sector - Report
Report:Children’s services and violence prevention
Violence affects too many children across England and Wales. In our Children, violence and vulnerability report, nearly one in five 13–17-year-olds reported being a victim of violence in the past year, and one in eight reported committing violence. The impact is serious, long-lasting, and extends far beyond those directly involved. Recommendations Extra-Familial Harm 1 LEADERSHIP Make safeguarding children from…Children’s Services
Funded projects
By evaluating programmes across England and Wales — from mentoring in schools, to therapy in communities, to different types of policing — we find what works to prevent violence. We get behind interventions that are supported by robust research, evaluations and advice.
Funding good work
We fund work in England and Wales that aims to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence.
Finding what works
We evaluate every programme and activity that we fund. Our aim is to find out what works, for whom and why.
Working for change
To make a lasting difference we’ll build a movement of people and organisations passionate about making sure that young people get the very best support possible.
Youth Advisory Board
We’re giving young people a stake in our decision making and a voice on the issues that matter to them.
We can only achieve by putting young people at the heart of our work. That’s why we’ve set-up a Youth Advisory Board.
Latest insights, evidence, and Sector updates from YEF
Stay up to date with the latest research, policy insight and evidence on preventing violence affecting children and young people:
- News
News:Children arrested for sexual offences at a ten-year high
The number of children arrested for sexual offences has reached a ten-year high, new analysis of government data by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) shows. The findings reinforce the charity’s call for more effective support in schools to challenge harmful sexual behaviours and attitudes, alongside its investment in evaluating approaches to find out what works to prevent them. The analysis is published in YEF’s new Beyond the Headlines report, which tracks key trends in… - Blog
Blog:Introducing a new indicator tracking trends in violence against young women and girls
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a growing concern in the UK, and children and young people are often at the centre of these harms – both as victims and perpetrators. While anyone can experience gendered violence, it overwhelmingly affects girls and young women. Tragic stories such as the recent case in Fordingbridge where two boys were charged with rape highlight the urgent need… - Report
Report:Beyond the Headlines 2026
About the report Beyond the Headlines is our annual look at key trends and data on violence affecting children and young people. We use 11 indicators to track whether things are getting better or worse, and how well the systems that matter most for supporting children and young people are performing. This year we’ve added a new indicator…
Newsletter
Sign up to receive the latest YEF news, opportunities and research.
Be the first to hear about:
- New Toolkit strands
- New guidance reports
- New funding rounds
- New research: one of the largest studies of children’s experiences of violence.