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News and opinion

Find out more about the latest news and developments relating to the Youth Endowment Fund and our work.

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  • Blog

    Blog:Beyond the Headlines:  Why Lived Experience and Early Support Are Key to Reducing Knife Crime 

    Knife crime in the UK has dominated headlines in recent months, sparking widespread concern. While the statistics are shocking, they only scratch the surface of a deeper, more complex issue.   To truly understand and reduce knife crime, we must look beyond the numbers. Tools like our Core Indicators of Violence dashboard, delving into knife crime…
  • News

    News:1 in 8 teachers report sexual assaults between pupils—schools need specialists to stop the harm, charity urges 

    New YEF report sets out eight key actions to help schools protect pupils from violence  One in eight secondary school teachers report that a child in their school committed sexual assault against another pupil in the past term. To help schools tackle the problem, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is calling for every secondary school,…
  • Blog

    Blog:Children’s Services Conference March 2025

    Our recent Leading Effective Multi-Agency Partnerships for Supporting Children at Risk of Violence conference, which we delivered in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau, was aimed at senior leaders in the children’s services sector across England and Wales. Chaired by our Executive Director – Jon Yates, and supported by Dez Holmes, Director of Research in Practice and…
  • Blog

    Blog:Episode 2 of Safe Podcast

    As a youth worker I used to regularly deliver workshops using UK rap and drill music to engage with young people at risk of exclusion and violence. This ranged from printing out lyrics to dissect with groups of secondary school students, to holding recording studio sessions in youth clubs, to chairing philosophical debates and sparking…
  • News

    News:New research finds nutrition programmes could help reduce aggression, anti-social behaviour and violence 

    New research from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) suggests that improving children’s diets through targeted nutrition programmes may help to reduce aggression and anti-social behaviour, particularly among those with neurodiverse conditions.  The research was undertaken as part of the YEF’s commitment to finding what works to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in…
  • Blog

    Blog:Evaluating Violence Prevention: Key Insights for School Leaders 

    The impact of violence on young people   Violence and the fear of violence has both physical and emotional impacts on children and young people, perhaps more acutely than many of us realise.  67% of teenage children are concerned about becoming victims of violence and 22% say that the anxiety has taken a toll on their…
  • Blog

    Blog:Safe Episode 1 Launch

    On Adolescence  Over the weekend, without taking a break, I watched all four episodes of Adolescence, Stephen Graham’s Netflix mini-series about the arrest of a 13-year-old schoolboy for murdering one of his classmates and its impact on his life, family and community.   I was gripped, partially because it is a rare thing for British television…
  • News

    News:New YEF Guidance helps police and VRUs tackle serious violence with Focused Deterrence 

    First pioneered on the streets of Boston in the 1990s to address rising gun crime, Focused Deterrence has since been adopted around the world as an effective strategy to reduce serious violence.  Today, the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has published new guidance to help police forces, Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) and statutory services implement Focused…
  • News

    News:YEF calls for urgent government action to tackle racial disproportionality in violence affecting children

    New report exposes the stark extent of disproportionality, calling for action across youth justice, education, healthcare and policing.
  • Blog

    Blog:The Importance of Careers in Preventing Youth Involvement in Violence

    Employment and access to workplace skills are vital for young people, offering more than just financial independence. They provide a sense of purpose, structure, and an opportunity to develop essential life skills. Engaging in meaningful work enables young individuals to cultivate communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities, which are crucial for personal development and future career…
  • News

    News:US-style summer jobs programme expands across England and Wales 

    New YEF research highlights the potential of paid work placements to reduce summer violence  A summer employment programme inspired by successful US initiatives is set to expand across England and Wales in 2025, offering 1,500 paid work placements to young people vulnerable to violence.  Building on a successful 2024 feasibility study, the Summer Jobs Programme…
  • Blog

    Blog:Beyond the Headlines update: a data-driven look at the rise in fatal stabbings 

    The start of 2025 has seen fatal stabbings of young people making headlines across the country. Every child’s life lost is devastating to families and communities. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, it’s crucial to remember that there are concrete actions we can take to address this crisis; and…