Beyond the Headlines:
Trends in violence affecting children in England and Wales over the last 10 years.
By The Youth Endowment Fund
Serious violence affecting children and young people in England and Wales is now higher than it was a decade ago. The mid-2010s showed a sharp increase in serious violence, particularly knife crime. More recent years show violence is falling: homicides, hospitalisations for knife assault and violent offending by children are all below their pre-Covid-19 levels. But it remains too high, and certain children – particularly Black children, boys and those living in the poorest areas – remain disproportionately affected. And the sectors that support children are struggling. Most crimes go unsolved by the police. Growing numbers of children are missing education or taken into care. Children’s mental health is worsening, and many don’t get the support they need. Services for young people have seen funding fall over the past decade. The number of children in absolute poverty increased in 2022/23. However, despite these difficulties, there is growing evidence about what works to prevent violence.
Here’s a look at five key stats:
Homicide: In the year ending 2022/23, 99 young people aged 16 to 24 in England and Wales were victims of homicide, up from 87 in 2012/13.
Hospital admissions: The number of 10 to 17-year-olds in England admitted to hospital for injuries caused by knives or sharp instruments surged from 2015/16 and reached its decade peak in 2018/19. The number of incidents recorded has declined year-on-year since, but at the end of 2022/23 was 47% higher than compared to 2012/13.
Disproportionality: In 2022/23, 91% of young people admitted to hospital with knife injuries were male. Black children were over six times more likely to be homicide victims compared to their share of the population. And children living in the most deprived police areas experienced 2.5 times more violent crime than those in the least deprived areas.
Signs of improvement: The latest figures in 2022/23, show a year-on-year fall in both homicides of young people and hospital admissions. Over the last ten years, the number of 10 to 17-year-olds cautioned or convicted for violent offences in England and Wales has nearly halved (46%).
Struggling sectors: In the last academic year, 1 in 5 pupils in England were persistently absent, referrals to NHS mental health services rose by 11% in 2022/23, and the number of children under the care of local authorities in England has increased over the decade.
London: Youth Endowment Fund, 2024. 95p.