By Luke Billingham and Keir Irwin-Rogers

 For many children and young people, Britain is a harmful society in which to grow up. This book contextualizes the violence that occurs between a small number of young people within a wider perspective on social harm. Aimed at academics, youth workers and policy makers, the book presents a new way to make sense of this pressing social problem. The authors also propose measures to substantially improve the lives of Britain’s young people in areas ranging from the early years to youth services and the criminal justice system.

Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press, 2022. 302p.

By Farhana Hossain, Kyla Wasserman

Roca Baltimore strives to change the lives of young men who have been involved in the justice system and who are identified as being at high risk of participating in violence or being affected by it. MDRC is partnering with Roca to conduct an evaluation of the program’s implementation and participant outcomes. This introductory brief takes a closer look at Roca Baltimore’s program model, the young men it serves, and the local context that shapes its work.

New York: MDRC, 2021. 8p.

By Dewan, Fathima

School-based violence is of major concern in the South African schooling system, particularly in secondary schools. School-based violence has a negative impact on the physical, social, cognitive and emotional well-being of learners and teachers. To compound matters, family and community environment also play a role in escalating school violence. There is a need to develop interventions that are evidence-based and developmental in nature to address the issue of reducing school-based violence. Youth empowerment can be used as a helpful strategy to address the issue of school-based violence. This scholarly book focuses on using the framework of youth empowerment to address the issue of school-based violence. Through sound research, the author proposes that schools should involve learners in decision-making around school policies and design strategies to address school violence to create safer schools and a better school climate. The author further posits using key aspects of youth empowerment in school violence campaigns and programmes to increase youth motivation to collectively influence changes within their school through a process of shared decision-making, collective vision, and partnership with young people.

Cape Town: Avarsity Books, 2024. 218p.