Evidence-Based Policing
How does evidence-based policing best prevent violence – including through working with other organisations where the police are not the lead?
Diversion Practice Guidance
This guidance supports police forces – and the wider youth justice partnership – in navigating diversion by embedding robust and transparent decision-making, effective partnership working and evidence-based support.
Focused Deterrence
How to deliver focused deterrence to keep children and young people safe from involvement in serious violence.
At the Youth Endowment Fund, our aim is to prevent children from becoming involved in violence. We believe that any effective strategy to reduce violence must acknowledge that children depend on seven key sectors for safety, this includes evidence-based policing. Within each sector, we collaborate with delivery organisations and system leaders to gain deeper insights and implement changes that are most promising in reducing violence.
Why are we focusing on policing?
Children who enter the criminal justice system are some of the most vulnerable children in society. Their offending will often mask underlying vulnerabilities including early childhood trauma and neglect, poor mental health, and growing up in poverty.
When children come into contact with the police, this is an opportunity to identify children who need support and to address these underlying causes of crime. Ensuring that vulnerable children get access to the support they need is likely to keep them safe from offending in the future.
A recent analysis of cases where a child has come to serious harm found that the police in the community were missing opportunities to identify vulnerabilities and keep children safe*. Inspection reports also suggest that, while police are improving at identifying and responding to signs of vulnerability in children, too many exploited children are criminalised.
Toolkit Evidence for Evidence-Based Policing
The YEF Toolkit outlines evidence-based approaches to reducing violence that are often used in the policing sector, including strategies linked to policing in the community. This supports police forces, commissioners, and local partners to identify and implement effective violence prevention strategies that keep young people and children safe and out of the justice system wherever possible.
This focus on research and real-world evaluation strengthens evidence-based policing across local areas. The Toolkit shows what works, and what may have limited impact or even risk causing harm, helping services make better-informed decisions.
Explore more approaches on YEF’s Toolkit summarising the best available research evidence on preventing children and young people’s involvement in violence.
Changing practice
How can policing deliver focused deterrence effectively and equitably
In March 2025, we published our Focused Deterrence Practice Guidance. This report offers practical guidance to help organisations deliver effective and equitable focused deterrence (FD) in England and Wales. It contains nine recommendations on how to prepare for the programme, identify the right cohort to focus on, implement the strategy and monitor progress.
This guidance report draws upon the best available global evidence on FD. This includes the YEF Toolkit strand on FD, which is based on a rigorous, independent, systematic review of 24 studies. FD is a well-evidenced strategy that shows promise for reducing serious violence involving children and young people. The average impact of FD on violent crime is likely to be high.
Alongside the guidance, we’ve produced two tools on how to embed race equity, and how to use data and intelligence when implementing FD.
Can we then include an infographic for the two implementation tools.
Upcoming Guidance
In August 2026 we will publish Practice Guidance for the sector. Practice Guidance will provide practice leaders and commissioners with evidence-based recommendations across a range of policing practices related to keeping children safe from violence.
In January 2027 we will publish System Guidance for the sector. System Guidance will make policy recommendations, aimed at policymakers, system leaders and organisations with national influence, which will enable the police to deliver evidence-based violence reduction activity.
Trends in violence for policing
We aim to simplify the complexity surrounding violence affecting children and young people in England and Wales. Our goal is to provide a clear account of whether the situation is improving or worsening, and to evaluate the performance of key sectors supporting these children and young people.
Beyond the Headlines reports on recorded crimes that were successfully investigated over the last 10 years.
Whole Area Model
A new approach to evidence-based diversion for children
The Whole Area Model (WAM) pilot from the Youth Endowment Fund helps reduce reoffending by supporting evidence-based youth diversion. Research shows that diverting children from the criminal justice system lowers the risk of future violence and offending.
Our partnership with the Society of Evidence-Based Policing
Discover how we’re working with the Society of Evidence-Based Policing (SEBP) to prevent children’s involvement in violence through evidence-based policing.
Find out how you can get involved with YEF
You are invited to join our events specifically for the policing sector, to see how we can collectively tackle violence prevention for young people.
FAQs
What best describes community policing?
Policing in the community involves officers continuously working within the same local area to build strong, long-term relationships and public trust. This approach focuses on problem-solving and collaboration with residents, education and local services, helping to prevent violence before it escalates rather than responding only after harm has occurred.
What is the role of the police in the community in preventing youth violence?
Police officers have a unique opportunity to identify risk early and play an integral role in safeguarding children and young people. Approaches in the community that emphasise early intervention and collaboration with other services are more effective than enforcement alone.
What is evidence-based policing?
Evidence-based policing means using research and data to decide which strategies are most likely to reduce youth violence. It involves testing interventions and measuring outcomes to identify which approaches work best in practice.
This is where the toolkit becomes an extremely valuable tool to support decision-making within policing and community safety partnerships. It gives clear summaries of the strength of evidence behind different approaches, helping leaders prioritise strategies that are most likely to reduce serious violence.
What is YEF doing to build more evidence?
To gain knowledge of what works, we are evaluating our funded projects in the policing sector, of which are listed below.