Youth work is more than just a profession — it’s a passion, a calling, and for many of us, the driving force behind our careers. If you work with young people, you’ll know the impact a trusted adult can have. Whether through a simple conversation, an activity that creates great memories, a bit of guidance and challenge, or just being present, it can change the course of a life.
From youth clubs to outreach work, youth work happens anywhere young people are —and that’s its strength. It builds trust, provides informal education and gives young people the space to explore who they are. The relationships youth workers build are powerful. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard a young person say, “I heard your voice in my head, so I turned around.” Moments like these can prevent harm and change futures. That’s why building strong evidence for youth work’s impact is critical. With better data, we can enhance and build on its strength to build positive relationships with vulnerable young people, seeking to help them get better outcomes.
Our survey findings: Children, Violence and Vulnerability 2024
To better understand the role of positive activities, youth clubs and trusted adults in the lives of children and young people, the Youth Endowment Fund surveyed over 10,000 teenagers in England and Wales. Published last year as part of our annual Children, Violence and Vulnerability1 reports, the findings provide a clearer picture of young people’s experiences and the challenges they face.
What did we find?
Our research revealed a strong link between youth club attendance and vulnerability to violence. While 40% of teenagers in England and Wales attend a youth club at least once a month, this figure rises to 60% for young victims of violence and 65% for those who have perpetrated violence. In contrast, just 31% of young people with no direct experience of violence attend youth clubs. Put simply, young people affected by violence are twice as likely to attend youth clubs as those who haven’t been victims or perpetrators.
The data also shows that children who are more vulnerable to violence are significantly more likely to attend youth clubs. For instance, 67% of 13 to 17-year-olds who’ve been supported by a social worker in the past year attend a youth club, compared to 33% of those who have never had a social worker. The trend is even more pronounced among young people who have been excluded from school — 84% of those excluded in the past year attended a youth club, compared to just 36% of those who have never been excluded.
Strengthening the role of youth clubs in violence prevention
These findings matter. While youth clubs are open to all, they disproportionately attract young people who are most vulnerable to violence. This raises critical questions about how the youth sector can best support those who need it most.
One key takeaway is that while youth clubs are designed as universal spaces, they reach a highly vulnerable population. Measuring the direct impact of youth clubs — particularly on violence reduction — remains challenging, but research suggests they may play a valuable role. For instance, a study by Carmen Villa found that when all youth clubs in an area closed, crime rates, including violent crime, increased. This further underscores the importance of youth clubs and maintaining open-access provision, not just to provide safe spaces for young people but as a benefit to the wider community.
Beyond universal provision, there is stronger evidence that targeted support within the youth sector can play a role in violence prevention. Many young people benefit from the opportunity to build trusting relationships with adults outside their family — whether through formal mentoring or informal interactions in youth clubs. Likewise, engaging in positive activities, from sports to arts programmes, can help provide structure, purpose and connections to further services.
Among these, mentoring2 and sports programmes have the strongest evidence base. International research summarised in the YEF Toolkit3 found that, on average, mentoring reduces violence by 21% and reoffending by 19%. Sports programmes have also been shown to reduce aggression, improve mental health and address other behavioural difficulties.
However, other forms of youth sector-led activities — such as arts programmes, adventure and wilderness therapy4 and detached youth work — may also contribute to violence prevention, though more research is needed to understand their effects.
Effective youth provision also depends on how and where services are delivered. To maximise their impact, youth clubs and targeted programmes should align with the times and places where young people are most at risk. For instance, research from a major trauma centre in London, highlighted in our
8 Key Facts about Violence5 report, found that children are most at risk of being stabbed on weekdays between 4-8pm, shortly after school ends. By aligning youth provision with these patterns — offering services in the places and times where children are most at risk — we may be able to protect more young people from harm.
Sustainability is another important factor. Youth programmes are most effective when they have long-term stability, allowing staff to build meaningful relationships with young people. Short-term initiatives can struggle to gain trust, and high staff turnover risks disrupting the supportive connections that young people rely on. If the sector is to make a lasting difference, investment in long-term, well-planned provision is essential.
Conclusion
The youth sector has a crucial role to play in preventing violence. By ensuring that universal provision remains accessible, targeted support reaches those who need it most and youth services are strategically planned, we can better protect young people and provide them with the relationships and opportunities they need to thrive.
Later this year, we’ll publish guidance for the youth sector that explores these issues in more depth and offers practical recommendations to help those working in the sector protect children and young people from becoming involved in violence.
You can stay up-to-date on the YEF’s work in the youth sector here:
https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/about-us/our-strategy/sectors/youth-sector/6
Caleb Jackson
Head of Change – Youth Sector, Youth Endowment Fund
youthendowmentfund.org.uk
Further Reading
[1] https://www.fightingknifecrime.london
[2] [3] See also these toolkits on FKCL’s home page here.
[4] https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/
[5] https://www.fightingknifecrime.london/
[6] YEF reports are also included in FKCL single access point for research and resources of public interest affecting young people here.
