This guidance sets out the risks associated with serious Youth violence and the harm children can suffer from outside of their homes.
1. Introduction
1.1 The extent and impact of serious youth violence are more far-reaching than many adults realise. Too many children, including some as young as 11, are carrying knives because they feel unsafe and see this as a form of protection. Serious youth violence has a wide impact across communities. Learning from National reviews highlights that failures to consistently identify serious youth violence as a safeguarding issue is leaving too many children at serious risk of harm.
2. What is Serious Youth Violence?
2.1 Serious Youth Violence is defined as ‘any offence of most serious violence or weapon enabled crime, where the victim is aged 1-19’ i.e. murder, manslaughter, rape, wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm. ‘Youth violence’ is defined in the same way, but also includes assault with injury offences.
3. Why it matters?
3.1 Serious youth violence can be devastating for those involved. It can result in death or life-changing injuries for children. There are strong links between serious youth violence and exploitation. Children can be groomed and exploited to commit violent crimes which can result in them being arrested and serving time in prison. It can also have a serious emotional impact, resulting in trauma.
4. Recognising vulnerability
Several factors can make a young person vulnerable to being exploited into serious youth violence. These can include a child having a history of abuse or neglect, living in a chaotic household, children in care, bereavement or loss, low self-esteem, learning disability / mental health issues or exposure to violence. This list is not exhaustive and professional curiosity is essential in identifying children at risk. Significant influences leading to exploitation and violent crime can come from outside the family home and be contextual such as from a peer group, be online, at school and/or in the neighbourhood. Children who are exploited to commit violence and violent crime may also suffer from other forms of exploitation. It is important to consider other forms of harm outside the home in order to better understand the risk to the child.
5. If you are worried about a child, what do to next:
5.1 An Initial Harm Outside of the Home Screening Tool should be completed where there are concerns regarding signs and indicators of serious youth violence that is potentially linked to exploitation. If the child is open to services and already has a worker, the Screening Tool should be sent directly to the local Harm Outside of the Home group.
5.2 If the child does not have a worker the Screening Tool should be used to assist evidence gathering in making a SAFER referral and can be submitted alongside a SAFER referral form to:
A SAFER referral must be made as soon as possible when any concern of Significant Harm as a consequence of exploitation becomes known. Any agency or practitioner who has concerns that a child may be at risk of harm should contact the relevant MACH or CHUB.
5.3 If there is concern about a child’s immediate safety, the Police should be contacted on 999.
6. Useful Practice Tools (on this website)
7. Useful Links and Resources (on this website)