Practice guidance for youth work commissioners on how to reduce children and young people’s involvement in violence by the Youth Endowment Fund. The guidance is primarily written for local funders and commissioners of youth work in England and Wales but still relevant in a Scotland context.
Violence affects too many children and young people. In the Youth Endowment Fund’s Children, violence and vulnerability report, one in five 13–17-year-olds reported being a victim of violence in the past year, and one in eight reported committing violence. The impact is serious, long-lasting, and extends far beyond those directly involved.
This guidance report aims to prevent this violence. It offers youth work commissioners eight evidence-based recommendations to reduce children and young people’s involvement in violence. These recommendations emphasise getting the right focus on vulnerable children and young people and high-risk contexts, funding approaches that work, and laying strong foundations for high-quality youth work.
The guidance is primarily written for local funders and commissioners of youth work in England and Wales – including local authorities, Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), and housing associations – whose decisions shape the local youth work system. It is also relevant for philanthropic funders, and for youth workers and sector leaders who want to design effective services and advocate for the conditions needed to deliver high-quality support.