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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIn 2024 the government published a report<\/a> that highlighted that serious youth violence was a more severe problem than many adults realised. The report noted that youth violence was not just a \u2018city problem\u2019 and that children as young as 11 were carrying knives for \u2018protection.\u2019 In 2024 the Youth Endowment Fund<\/a> (YEF), a charity that seeks to prevent children and young people from becoming involved in violence, published their third annual Children, Violence and Vulnerability<\/a> report. The YEF surveyed over 10,000 children aged 13 – 17 in England and Wales about their experiences with violence and found that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Youth violence is a serious and widespread issue. It can be caused and exacerbated by a myriad of different factors ranging from peer pressure<\/a> to systemic racism. The causes of youth violence must be addressed at local and national levels. However, there are many causes of youth violence that are undeniably outside of the control of those responsible for safeguarding children. For example, in 2023\/4 children from Black Caribbean backgrounds were 228%<\/a> more likely to be arrested than expected based on their share of the population. The overrepresentation of Black children in the youth justice system highlights racial disparity which can increase a child\u2019s likelihood of becoming involved with youth violence. However, a teacher is not in a position to address or challenge the racial disparity of the youth justice system. In this instance, this cause is outside of their control and influence. That being said, causes of youth violence can be multifaceted and you must be aware of the potential causes of youth violence and how it may disproportionately impact the different children you engage with.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below you will find some causes of youth violence. This list is by no means exhaustive and each cause of youth violence can be extensively explored for its impact in its own right. Nevertheless, it\u2019s important for those with a responsibility for safeguarding children to have an awareness of the variety of causes. Causes of youth violence include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned, some children are disproportionately impacted by the causes of youth violence and this can make them more susceptible to engage in it. It\u2019s equally important for those with a responsibility to safeguard children to recognise the factors that can put a young person at greater risk of becoming involved with youth violence. Risks that can increase a child\u2019s likelihood of getting involved with youth violence include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n All children have the right to safety and those with safeguarding responsibilities must uphold their duty and engage in effective practices in order to keep people safe. Our wide range of Safeguarding Courses<\/a> will provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to maintain your safeguarding responsibilities.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n Youth violence demonstrates that young people are not exempt from violent crime simply because of their age. This can be seen in the types of violence that a young person may become involved with that can be just as severe as the violence that someone much older might engage in. There are also certain crimes that are unique to youth violence as they rely on an individual’s age to avoid detection. It\u2019s important to have an understanding of the type of criminal activity that a young person may be engaging with and to not assume that a child is \u2018too young\u2019 to perform such actions.<\/p>\n\n\n Examples of youth violence include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gang Violence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Youth violence is synonymous with gang violence. 46,000 children<\/a> in England are thought to be\u00a0 involved in criminal groups, but it\u2019s highly likely that the number is much greater. It\u2019s not illegal for a young person to be in a gang and not every gang is linked to criminal activity, however, gang membership can quickly become linked to criminal activity. Street gangs and organised criminal groups often see crime and violence as integral to the gang\u2019s identity or crime as their \u2018occupation.\u2019 This means that those involved with these types of gangs are highly likely to become involved in some kind of illegal activity. Young people can be drawn into gangs for a wide range of reasons including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some gangs will intentionally seek out children and young people and groom them in order to make recruiting easier. These gangs will often target children as they are less suspicious and tend to be given lighter sentences than adults. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Studies show that a child is at greater risk of being recruited into a gang if they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are worried that a child or young person is being groomed or coerced into joining a gang you can contact the NSPCC Helpine<\/strong> on 0808 800 5000<\/strong> or email <\/strong>help@NSPCC.org.uk<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Signs of Youth Violence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important that you are able to recognise the signs that a child or young person may be involved with youth violence. This enables you to monitor the child, offer support and take the necessary action. Signs that a child or young person might be involved with youth violence include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This list is not exhaustive, nor does one sign automatically indicate that someone is involved in violent activity. However, it\u2019s important for those with safeguarding responsibilities to have an awareness of what these signs might indicate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just as the causes of youth violence must be addressed at both a local and national level, so too must attempts to prevent youth violence. Prevention of youth violence on a national scale involves action such as investing in communities, addressing systemic racism and tackling wealth inequality. This is undeniably outside of the control of some of those responsible for safeguarding children as they don\u2019t necessarily have the power or authority to influence these factors. However, there are also effective steps that can be taken at a local level which are <\/em>within the control of those with a duty of care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The YEF has an evidence based toolkit<\/a> that explores approaches that can help to reduce violence in the education sector. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other ways in which youth violence can be prevented or reduced include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have any concerns that a child is involved with youth violence you should share these concerns with another member of staff such as the Designated Safeguarding Lead <\/a>(DSL). They should then be able to advise you on the next steps to take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you suspect a child or young person is at risk of immediate danger you must call the police on 999<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also contact the following for further information and support:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Youth violence is a serious and widespread issue. It can be difficult to imagine a child being involved with criminal activity, however their age does not protect them from engaging with serious crime. Many children become involved with youth violence unwillingly and once they have become involved it can feel impossible to escape. Those with a responsibility for safeguarding children must ensure that they provide the support and guidance to educate children on the danger of youth violence and to highlight the alternative routes through life that they can take. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Youth violence is a serious and widespread issue. Find guidance on the role you can play in reducing or preventing youth violence in your setting here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":80126,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[81,75,80],"class_list":["post-80122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safeguarding","tag-education","tag-safeguarding-children","tag-teachers-and-parents"],"acf":{"schema_disabled":false,"schema_properties_FAQPage_question_answer":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_tools":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_supplies":null,"schema_properties_HowTo_howto_steps":null,"schema_properties_WebPage_cssSelector":null,"schema_sameAs_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_repeater":null,"schema_custom_json_override":false},"yoast_head":"\n\n
\n\n\n\nCauses of Youth Violence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div>Want to Learn More?<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
\n\n\n\nTypes of Youth Violence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHow to Prevent Youth Violence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nFurther Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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