Beyond the Headlines 2025

About the report

Every year, thousands of children are affected by violence. But is the situation improving – or getting worse? And how well are the systems that support children responding? 

To help answer these questions, we have created a core indicators dashboard, tracking 11 key measures. It’s designed to cut through complexity and offer a clear, data-driven picture of the trends that matter most. 

This report is our first annual update since launching the dashboard last year. It includes the latest full-year data for 2023/24 – the final year of the last Parliament. 

Core indicators of violence have risen for the first time in years.

Over the past decade – and especially in recent years – violence has worsened, with children and young people increasingly affected. In England and Wales, the total number of homicides was 10% higher in 2023/24 than in 2013/14. Among 13–19-year-olds, the increase was far steeper: up 64%. 

While overall knife-related hospital admissions have remained broadly stable over the last ten years (admissions were 4% higher in 2023/24 compared to 2013/14), admissions among 0–17-year-olds have surged by 58%. In 2023/24, they rose by 9% – the first annual increase since 2018/19. 

Knife-related violence is having an increasingly devastating impact on young people and their families. The number of 13-19-year-olds who lost their lives to knives or other sharp objects has more than doubled since 2013/14 – up by 141%. This contrasts with other forms of homicide, which have followed a downward trend since 2017/18. Knife-related killings now account for 83% of all homicides in this age group – up from 56% a decade ago.  

Whilst the overall number of children entering the justice system has fallen steadily over the past decade, that decline masks more troubling recent trends in violent offending.  

The number of first-time entrants (FTEs) to the youth justice system was 62% lower in 2024 compared to 2014. This sustained decline is partly due to the increased use of diversion – directing children who commit low-level or first-time offences away from the courts and towards support.  

Yet since 2020/21, arrests of children for violent offences have risen by nearly a third (32%), compared to a 17% rise in arrests for all offences. In 2024, FTEs for violent offending rose by 1%, even as FTEs for any offending fell by 4%. And in the most recent year, the number of proven violent offences committed by children rose by 9% – more than double the increase seen across all offence types (4%).

These patterns are echoed in the most serious outcomes. The number of 10-17-year-olds convicted of homicide rose by 77% in 2023/24 compared to 2013/14. Among young adults aged 18–24, convictions were up by 41% over the same period. In contrast, among adults aged 25 and over, the number of homicide convictions in 2023/24 was broadly similar to levels seen ten years ago – despite some significant fluctuations over the period.  

London continues to record the highest number of proven violent offences committed by children, averaging 2,703 incidents per year over the past three years (2021/22 to 2023/24). West Yorkshire ranks second, with an average of 846 offences per year.  

But when we account for population size, a different pattern emerges. Areas such as Nottinghamshire top the list, with 373 violent offences per 100,000 10-17-year-olds — making it the area with the highest rate of violence affecting children and young people. London and West Yorkshire still remain among the highest, but several smaller areas show higher rates relative to their youth populations.   

Notably, London has seen a slower rebound in violence affecting children and young people since the pandemic. In 2023/24, the number of violent offences by children in the capital rose by 4%, but remained 36% lower than in 2019/20. In contrast, other areas have returned to – or neared – pre-pandemic levels. For example, Essex and Kent both recorded violence figures in 2023/24 that were close to their 2019/20 levels.   

Most sectors that protect children are under strain 

Alongside tracking violence itself, we monitor trends in the services that support children – from education and youth services to policing and health. These sectors are critical to keeping children safe, but data from the last ten years shows many that are under serious and sustained pressure.   

In the most recent year, there were small signs of progress in some areas. The proportion of crimes solved by police rose slightly, from 9.8% to 10.4% between 2022/23 and 2023/24. Persistent school absence – defined as missing 10% or more of sessions – fell marginally from 21% to 20% between 2021/22 and 2022/23.

But these improvements don’t outweigh the wider challenges. Police now solve just one in ten crimes – compared to three in ten a decade ago. Persistent absence from school remains double pre-pandemic levels, and the number of children severely absent (missing more than 50% of possible sessions) continues to rise.  

Children’s mental health also appears to be worsening, with growing demand not being matched by access to treatment. Since 2016/17 (the first year we have data for), the number of children referred to NHS-funded mental health services in England has more than doubled – up 105% by 2023/24. But in the latest year, fewer than half the number referred (46%) received support.  

Meanwhile, investment in support for children has declined. Total real-terms spending on youth services has fallen by nearly half over the past decade – down 48% between 2013/14 and 2023/24. Almost every region in England has seen substantial cuts, with reductions ranging from 32% in the East Midlands to 68% in the West Midlands. Wales is the only area to see spending rise – increasing by more than 2.5 times over the same period – but youth service spending per child in Wales remains lower than in most English regions.

Racial disproportionality remains a serious issue 

There has been some progress in tackling racial disproportionality in the youth justice system. Between 2020/21 and 2023/24, the overrepresentation of Black children has declined across several measures. For stop and search, Black children went from being 3.1 times to 2.5 times as likely to be stopped and searched relative to their population share. In arrests, overrepresentation fell from 2.6 times to 1.6 times. The gap in cautions and convictions dropped from 2.1 times to 1.8 times, and in custody, it decreased from 4.9 times to 4 times.

But significant disparities remain – especially when looking beyond race. In 2023/24, children from Black Caribbean and Other Black backgrounds were 228% (3.3 times) and 175% (2.8 times) more likely, respectively, to be arrested than expected based on their share of the population. Children from Gypsy and Irish Traveller backgrounds were 139% more likely (2.4 times). In contrast, children from Black African backgrounds were slightly underrepresented.  

Change is possible

The data is clear: in the past year, more children have been harmed by serious violence, and the services meant to support them are under growing strain. But the evidence also shows that change is possible.  

With the right support delivered at the right time, we can prevent violence and keep children safe. That’s why the Youth Endowment Fund is committed to building the evidence on what works – and turning that knowledge into guidance that shifts practice and drives lasting change across the systems supporting children.  

Using evidence to drive change 

The YEF Toolkit brings together the best available global research on what works to prevent children from becoming involved in violence. It helps policymakers and commissioners identify the most promising approaches based on strong evidence.  

Our Practice Guidance helps professionals put this evidence into action. Whether working in education, policing or youth justice, it shows how to apply effective approaches – backed by real-world case studies. 

We also publish System Guidance to inform reform across entire sectors. Frontline professionals don’t always control the funding or policy decisions that shape their work. So alongside our practice tools, we provide policy recommendations to enable system-wide reform. We’ve started with youth justice and education – and more sectors will follow.