Criminal justice and youth violence
Beyond the Headlines 2024: 10-Year Trends in Violence
Youth Endowment Fund · 2024
About this report
This report from the Youth Endowment Fund tracks 11 key indicators of violence affecting children and young people in England and Wales over the past decade (2012/13–2022/23). It finds that while serious violence spiked sharply in the mid-2010s, recent years have seen falls in homicides, knife-related hospital admissions, and proven violent offences by children — though levels remain higher than a decade ago. Black children and boys continue to be disproportionately affected as both victims and perpetrators, and the sectors supporting vulnerable children — including policing, education, health, and children's services — are showing significant signs of strain. The report also highlights growing evidence for what works to prevent violence, including mentoring, therapies, and hot-spot policing.
Research details
- Methodology
- Secondary analysis
- Sample size
- Not disclosed
- Sample
- Children and young people aged 0–24 in England and Wales, drawn from multiple published administrative and survey datasets including Home Office Homicide Index, NHS hospital admissions data, Youth Justice Board statistics, DfE school absence data, and DWP poverty statistics.
- Place
- EnglandWales
- Youth involvement
- No youth involvement