Better Lives Survey 2026 reveals how young people perceive violence

This report draws on engagement with 2,922 young people across Scotland and provides valuable insight into how young people perceive violence, knife crime, safety, and prevention efforts in the current social climate. The findings highlight the complex relationship between fear, reassurance, identity, social pressures, and trust in systems designed to support and protect young people.

A key theme emerging throughout the report is the importance of prioritising reassurance over fear in both policy and prevention campaigns. Young people consistently expressed a desire not only for clear consequences to violence, but also for approaches that build trust, belonging, safety, and understanding.

The No Knives Better Lives team hope the report will contribute meaningfully to ongoing discussions around violence prevention policy and practice.

A Community of Practice event will take place to discuss these survey outcomes with practitioners in the youth work and violence prevention sector, urging youth workers to continue their conversations with young people about violence prevention.

Key findings:

• The majority of young people feel safe when outside with other people, but nighttime and being near adults who have been drinking effects how safe they feel.
• The majority did not think seeing the police in their area would help them feel safer, so they used their own protective factors.
• A majority didn’t think knife carrying was common in their areas, but important to note that this did not apply to young people in the most deprived communities and with experience of the criminal justice system who thought it was common.
• The majority had not felt the need to carry a knife, but thought that people who did, did so to make them feel safer, for protection and to show power.
• A majority would tell an adult or the police if knew someone was carrying a knife.
• Young people mainly want to hear from people who have experienced violence, ideally from their local areas who they can relate to.

Read the full Better Lives Youth Voices Survey 2026 report.