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YEFcast

Each episode, we go behind the scenes of our research, our work with government, and our conversations with the people delivering change – the practitioners, policymakers and partners responding to violence affecting children and young people across England and Wales.

YEFcast

SEASON 1 :   EPISODE 1

Halving Knife Crime: Can the Government’s Plan Deliver?

  |   16 minutes

Halving knife crime

Knife crime is often portrayed as an ever‑worsening crisis, yet the data tells a more complex story. In the first episode of YEFcast, host Ciaran Thapar sits down with Joe Collin, Head of Policy and Guidance at the Youth Endowment Fund, to explore the government’s 2024 commitment to halve knife crime within a decade and the action plan designed to get us there.

Drawing on evidence from thousands of young people, major programme evaluations, and international research, Joe explains why knife crime requires a whole‑society response — spanning education, youth services, health, policing, and justice.

They discuss:

  • The four pillars of the government’s Protecting Lives, Building Hope plan
  • Why knife crime among under‑18s has fallen sharply — and why violence against women and girls has not
  • How curriculum reform, pupil premium flexibility, and therapeutic support can reduce risk
  • The role of CBT, youth hubs, diversion, and justice reform in preventing reoffending
  • What government must do next to turn cautious optimism into lasting change

This episode sets the tone for YEFcast: evidence‑driven conversations with the people shaping policy, practice, and public understanding of youth violence.

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