A stark research report also reveals that a quarter of young people have seen other children carrying or using weapons, while 14% have been actual victims of violence.
The study, which involved 2,025 young people aged 13 to 17 in England and Wales, has been published by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF).
The YEF defines violence as the “use of force or threat of force against another person or people, for example punching someone, threatening someone with a weapon, or mugging someone”. The definition also includes sexual assault.
The survey findings reveal that 39% of the young people responding have been affected by violence in the last 12 months either as victims or witnesses.
Furthermore, 65% said they had changed their behaviour to keep themselves safe from violence while 14% had been absent from school out of fear of violence. Indeed, among those respondents who had been victims of violence in the last year, half said they had skipped school out of fear of serious violence. Others reported changing their route to school through fear of violence.
However, within the figures, some children are more affected by violence than others – 60% who were supported by a social worker said they had been directly affected by violence, while 55% of children who regularly miss school and 46% of those receiving free school meals said they had experienced violence as victims or witnesses.
The respondents also said that they had seen real-life violence on social media in the last year (55%) and had seen their peers carrying, promoting, or using weapons (24%).
The respondents said that they felt safe at school generally (83%), but fewer felt safe outside school before and after the school day (69%).
The survey asked about the reasons for the violence and two-thirds identified drugs. The report states: “Drugs were frequently identified by teenage children as a major factor driving youth violence in their local area. More than three-fifths of teenage children identified drug use (66%), addiction (65%) and supply (64%) as major factors leading teenage children in their area to commit violent crimes. Gang membership was also highlighted, with 66% saying it was a major factor.”
When it comes to solutions, the survey respondents called for more police patrols (26%), more youth clubs and activities (15%), and better drug and alcohol support services (10%).
Jon Yates, executive director at the YEF, said: “Violence is a scourge on many of children’s lives. Work by the government, public sector workers and charities can make a huge difference to reduce violence. Less violence means fewer children skipping school, fewer children missing sleep and fewer children losing out on opportunities. This makes the biggest difference to the children who are most likely to see and experience violence – those from minority backgrounds, those on free school meals and those who’ve been supported by a social worker.
“Violence is not inevitable. Together we can keep children safe from violence and give them richer, happier, safer lives.”
The YEF has been established with a £200m endowment for the Home Office to work to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. Among its resources, the charity maintains a YEF Toolkit, which analyses exiting research into approaches that are effective in preventing serious youth violence.
- YEF: Children, violence and vulnerability 2022, November 2022: https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2022/