{"id":15782,"date":"2020-07-13T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=15782"},"modified":"2020-07-13T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T05:00:00","slug":"report-warns-against-putting-clock-back-on-tackling-youth-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/arts-social-sciences\/society-politics\/report-warns-against-putting-clock-back-on-tackling-youth-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Report warns against “putting clock back” on tackling youth violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The final report of the cross-party Youth Violence Commission (YVC)<\/a>, supported by researchers from The Open University and the University of Warwick is launched today (Monday 13 July) calling for specific action to tackle the rising social and financial costs of youth violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of COVID-19, the Commission is deeply concerned about the potential for levels of serious violence between young people to rise in the coming months and years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Commission warns austerity measures as a result of Covid-19 could impact plans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It argues the Government should provide guaranteed support to, and investment in, the 18 recently established Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) across the UK, which hold significant potential in driving down levels of serious violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If support and investment is withdrawn from these VRUs the Commission fears this would undo much of the hugely important work that has taken place since the first VRU was established in September 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Violent crime and the use of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) are also the subjects of a BBC Panorama investigation, \u2018How Scotland Cut Violent Crime\u2019 <\/a>with Kate Silverton, airing on BBC One at 19:30 on Monday 13 July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Youth Violence Commission’s final report outlines the economic and social cost of youth violence, with unique analysis revealing that serious youth violence has cost the UK \u00a311bn since 2008. This means, say report authors, that the VRU network would only need to reduce serious youth violence by 3% to be cost-effective.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Commission’s Safer Lives Survey found a staggering 50% of respondents aged 16-19 reported personally knew at least one young person who had been hospitalised by serious violence in the past five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final report shines a spotlight on the signification proportion of young people whose lives are characterised by high levels of insecurity, anxiety and trauma, all intensified by significant levels of child poverty and inequality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n