Background

The youth justice statutory caseload has reduced by over three quarters in the last decade following policy initiatives to divert children from the formal youth justice system. Those who remain in the system tend to have more complex needs and increased concerns in relation to their own safety and/or the safety of other people, and they are more likely to display violent behaviour.

The UN describes youth violence as a ‘global public health problem’ which ‘includes a range of acts from bullying and physical fighting, to more severe sexual and physical assault to homicide.’ Much of this violence is against peers, but there are other significant categories, such as violence by children against parents. The public health approach highlighted by the UN identifies three tiers of prevention with coordinated interventions required at each tier: primary prevention aims to prevent violence before it occurs; secondary prevention focuses on the immediate response to violence (early intervention); and tertiary prevention focuses on long-term care and harm reduction after violence has occurred.

Key statistics are as follows:

• of all proven offences by children in the year ending March 2023, 34 per cent were violent offences, an increase from 21 per cent from 2011
• 16 per cent of teenage children surveyed in 2023 reported that they had been a victim of violence in the last 12 months; 48 per cent of those children who said they had committed violence reported that they had also been victims of violence, increasing to 78 per cent for those supported by a youth justice service.

Summary of the evidence

Factors associated with violent behaviours

Violent behaviour in children is a very broad spectrum, and there is no single cause or simple solution. However, international research has identified a number of risk and preventive factors at the societal/community, family and individual levels, with persistent violent behaviour found to be associated with victimisation and social adversity.

Identified risk factors within the community and wider society include:

• access to and misuse of alcohol and drugs
• gangs and drug dealing in the neighbourhood
• high income inequality
• high rates of unemployment and/or precarious unemployment
• poverty and lack of diversionary activities in the community.

The following family and peer factors have been identified with children who display violent behaviours:

• poor monitoring and supervision of children by parents
• low levels of attachment between parents and children, and low parental involvement in children’s activities
• parental substance abuse or criminality
• parental depression
• unemployment in the family and low family income

• associating with peers who offend and/or gang membership.

Finally, research evidence suggests that the following individual factors are associated with a greater propensity to use violence:

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, or other behavioural disorders
• early involvement with substance misuse
• low intelligence and educational underachievement
• low engagement to school, including poor attendance at school
• involvement in general crime.

A 2023 survey of teenage children revealed a range of disparities in violence victimisation and perpetration rates.

A whole system approach

Bearing in mind the range of factors set out above, we should not locate preventive action primarily at the individual level, or look for solutions solely within the criminal justice system. The socio-ecological model indicates that supporting children who display violent behaviours will require multi-agency strategic action at the community level and beyond with intervention across multiple, connecting areas.

Find out more about the social-ecological framework

Place-based approaches draw from socio-ecological theory, recognising the importance of understanding and addressing youth violence in the context of the local environment – common features are agencies working together and community engagement. Both contextual safeguarding and the building of systemic resilience are further promising approaches which highlight the need for collective actions to be taken across agencies.

Find out more about partnership working

Promising interventions and approaches

The Youth Endowment Fund identify the following promising interventions that have moderate to high impact and good evidence to support them:

• cognitive behavioural therapy which helps people recognise and manage negative thoughts and behaviours
• focused deterrence which is a neighbourhood policing strategy combining communicating that violence will be met with criminal sanctions with an offer of constructive support to move away from offending
• mentoring matches children with mentors who provide guidance and support
• diversion of children who have committed first-time or less serious offences away from the criminal justice system
• multi-systemic therapy is a family therapy programme which works with children aged 10-17 and their families when the children are at risk of being placed in custody or care
• relationship violence prevention lessons and activities aim to reduce violence between children and young people in intimate and partner relationships
• restorative justice brings those harmed by crime and those responsible for the harm into communication, to understand the impact of their actions, and find a positive way forward
• social skills training aims to develop children’s ability to regulate their behaviour and communicate effectively.

Building relationships and engaging children

Research in Manchester which explored serious youth violence found that children in the study typically had multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and it was emphasised that knowledge and understanding of these ACEs should be used to co-develop with children, personalised approaches to addressing their involvement in serious youth violence which consider both socio-cultural and psycho-social factors. The importance of building trusting relationships between individual children and practitioners was also emphasised. Further recommendations were set out in relation to practitioner training, clinical support for children, clinical supervision for staff, and the development of a wider systemic approach to trauma-informed practice so that children receive the necessary support at the point required.

In terms of violence prevention more generally and engaging children at risk of violence, the following principles have been identified by as important:

• build partnerships for prevention and explore opportunities for service integration
• co-design and co-produce solutions and services
• uphold children’s rights
• personalise provision
• develop positive relationships – trust, respect, empathy and stability are key components
• take a trauma-informed approach
• use an intersectional lens
• encourage peer engagement
• secure parent/carer support and promote pro-social familial behaviours
• be proactive in involving communities.

Building upon these principles, the following model has been proposed for engaging children and young people in services.

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Last updated: 19 July 2024