Do what works to prevent another decade of violence, urges charity
New YEF report examines trends in serious violence over the last 10 years
The Youth Endowment Fund’s latest report highlights the challenges ahead for the new government in its pledge to tackle knife crime.
The charity’s new Beyond the Headlines report untangles the data to reveal how serious violence has affected children and young people over the last decade.
In light of this, the YEF continues to push for evidence-based solutions to make children’s lives safer in the next decade.
The last 10 years: an overview
Serious violence affecting children and young people in England and Wales is higher than it was a decade ago. The mid-2010s showed a sharp increase in serious violence, particularly knife crime.
More recent years show signs that violence is falling: homicides, hospitalisations for knife assault and violent offending by children are all below their pre-Covid-19 levels. But it remains too high, and certain children – particularly Black children, boys and those living in the poorest areas – remain disproportionately affected.
The sectors that support children are struggling. Most crimes go unsolved by the police. Growing numbers of children are missing education or taken into care. Children’s mental health is worsening, and many don’t get the support they need. Services for young people have seen funding fall over the past decade. The number of children in absolute poverty increased in 2022/23.
Five key statistics
1. Homicide: In the year ending 2022/23, 99 young people aged 16 to 24 in England and Wales were victims of homicide, up from 87 in 2012/13. Of these, 69% were fatally injured with a knife or other sharp instrument, rising to 82% among teenagers aged 13 to 19.
2. Hospital admissions: The number of 10 to 17-year-olds in England admitted to hospital for injuries caused by knives or sharp instruments surged from 2015/16 and reached its decade peak in 2018/19. The number of incidents recorded has declined year-on-year since, but at the end of 2022/23 was 47% higher than compared to 2012/13.
The increase in knife-related injuries is particularly concerning as other forms of violence have decreased over the same period. In 2022/23, hospital admissions for other types of assault in England were down 54% compared to 2012/13.
3. Disproportionality: In 2022/23, 91% of young people admitted to hospital with knife injuries were male. Black children were over six times more likely to be homicide victims compared to their share of the population. And children living in the most deprived police areas experienced 2.5 times more violent crime than those in the least deprived areas.
4. Signs of improvement: The latest figures [2022/23], show a year-on-year fall in both homicides of young people and hospital admissions. Over the last ten years, the number of 10 to 17-year-olds cautioned or convicted for violent offences in England and Wales has nearly halved (46%). And the proportion of children convicted of a crime who reoffended within 18 months has fallen, from 41% in 2012/13 to 32% in 2021/22.
5. Struggling sectors: In the last academic year, 1 in 5 pupils in England were persistently absent, referrals to NHS mental health services rose by 11% in 2022/23, and the number of children under the care of local authorities in England has increased over the decade.
The next 10 years – what works to prevent violence?
The YEF is calling for the new government to follow the evidence and do what works to combat violence over the next decade.
Research from the YEF Toolkit shows that mentoring, cognitive behavioural therapies, social skills training and youth workers in A&E departments are all effective at reducing crime.
Earlier this year, the YEF published first-of-its-kind guidance for schools, colleges and Alternative Provision settings, recommending the most effective strategies for preventing violence. This followsguidance for youth justice, advocating for improved support for arrested children. Strong evidence shows that providing targeted support to children who have committed low-level or first-time offences, rather than taking them to court, reduces reoffending and violence.
Preventative strategies that provide targeted support to children and young people vulnerable to violence and exploitation (known as ‘focused deterrence’) could reduce crime by an average of 33%. Such is the promise of this approach, the YEF and Home Office have invested £7 million to fund and evaluate focused deterrence strategies across Coventry, Nottingham, Leicester, Manchester and Wolverhampton.
Jon Yates, Executive Director at the Youth Endowment Fund, said: “The figures in our new report provide a sobering reminder that more effective support is needed to stop children being harmed by violence and having their lives tragically cut short by it.
He adds: “If we want to cut knife crime and ensure that the next decade is safer for our children than the last, we need to focus our efforts and resources on the strategies that we know work. With the right support and opportunities, we can make our communities safer and help all children live a life free from violence.”