4. Violence is more likely to happen at certain times of day, week and year

Typically, crime is higher in the summer, at the weekend and at night.

However, the exact pattern will vary across populations and types of crime. Violence involving children can decrease in the summer when they are on summer holidays and increase when they return to school in the autumn. For children in England and Wales, there is evidence that the period after the school day finishes (4pm-8pm) is especially risky for the most serious violence.

Figure 3. Timing of injuries in children (red) and young adults (blue) who attended a UK major trauma centre with stab injuries. From Vulliamy et al (2018)

What does this mean for violence prevention?

Understanding when violence happens can improve our attempts to prevent it. If the time after school is especially risky, what can we do to make it safer?

For example, the Safe Passage programme in Chicago was designed to address this risk directly. Jointly run by the Chicago public schools district and police department, Safe Passage places local trusted adults along school routes at the beginning and end of the school day. These adults prevent violence by resolving disputes, deterring violence through their presence, and reliably reporting when it does happen.

Several studies have examined the impact of Safe Passage in Chicago since it launched. These studies have suggested reductions in crime and violence along the chosen routes, reductions in crime on nearby neighbourhood streets, and even reduced rates of absenteeism from school. Given these promising results, the YEF worked with the Home Office to fund an evaluation of a similar programme, Step Together, in the West Midlands to test whether the benefits seen in Chicago might be replicated here. The findings from this evaluation will be published in 2025.

Expert Insight – Lily Moreton, YEF Youth Advisory Board member and youth worker

“I used to do detached youth work between six and eight in the evening, engaging young people who were hanging around. We coordinate our work with other youth services in South Bristol to stagger our activities so the area is covered most of the time.

“We walk the same routes through estates, parks and shopping areas, getting a feel for where different groups hang out and gradually building relationships. If the police inform us of increased anti-social behaviour in an area, we might go there to engage the young people more positively. We often bring equipment, like footballs, to help break the ice and connect with them in their space.

“Our organisation has a strong presence in the community, so most young people know who we are. The key to detached youth work is engaging them on their level, building relationships and not giving up too quickly.”