Serious Youth Violence
By working in close collaboration with young people and youth justice practitioners in Manchester, this research investigated the role of adverse childhood experiences in serious youth violence, with the aim of developing a youth-informed service response.
Serious youth violence (SYV) – defined by the Youth Justice Board as ‘any drug, robbery, or violence-against-the-person offence with a gravity score of five or more‘ – is a growing concern in England and Wales. While overall crime continues to fall, SYV has been rising with figures showing that both perpetrators and victims of these offences are getting younger, with self-reported violence peaking at age 15.
Furthermore, both the perpetrators and victims of SYV are typically vulnerable young people – at increased risk of exploitation and victimisation, often with significant evidence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This research – commissioned by Manchester’s Youth Justice Service and funded by the Youth Justice Board – explored the nature and prevalence of ACEs within the youth justice cohort in Manchester, along with young people’s experiences of ACEs and SYV. In addition, it investigated both young people’s and practitioners’ views of youth justice practice, in particular, the use of trauma-informed interventions. This research involved both youth justice practitioners and young people in a participatory co-production approach to developing effective practice to address SYV. You can watch our film ‘Trauma City: A tale of SYV‘ that is based on stories created with justice-involved children, below. A comic book version of the film can be found here. Both of these resources can be used to support work around violence and exploitation.