What works to prevent youth violence: evidence summary

Directions for future research

Monitoring and evaluation are key components of a public health approach to youth violence reduction and prevention. Whilst this field of research is rapidly growing and the evidence base has expanded greatly, further research is required. Based on the evidence presented within this report, the following areas for future research have been identified.

i. Further evaluations of interventions – both in Scotland and elsewhere – are necessary to understand ‘what works’. For example, for the interventions classified as ‘inconclusive’ additional evidence via high-quality longitudinal evaluations would be beneficial for understanding the impacts of these interventions on preventing youth violence over time. Embedding evaluation within the intervention programme approach will contribute to understanding the most effective approaches to preventing youth violence. Such evaluations should include both quantitative and qualitative approaches to better understand the impacts and effects of each intervention. There is still a need to grasp what strategies have sustained and long-lasting effects. Research of this nature will allow for progress to be made in this area.

ii. Evaluation research should incorporate a validated measure of behaviour change (e.g., victimisation and perpetration and bystander behaviour). Where possible, assessment of modifiable precursors of young people’s behaviour should be incorporated. This will provide the opportunity for researchers to elucidate the change mechanisms that underpin effective programmes and interventions

iii. Education based approaches have been shown to be effective when delivered within school settings. Further research could investigate the impact of these interventions when delivered in alternative community-based settings and with those who do not attend school and when implemented in those who are not of school age (i.e. young adults).

iv. Evaluation research should continue to elucidate factors that moderate the effectiveness of youth violence interventions (Kovalenko et al., 2020). Improved evaluation efforts are necessary to better understand what works for whom and under what circumstances, as well as why certain approaches are effective, when others are not. Faggiano et al (2014) note that “not knowing why, how, and where prevention interventions work limits knowledge about generalizability and optimization of intervention”

v. More broadly, very little research has focused on examining the effectiveness of these interventions in low and middle income countries. We cannot assume that findings from high income countries will transfer.

vi. Strengthening this evidence base will require longitudinal evaluations of effectiveness across different population groups and communities, using validated measures of violence related outcomes and relevant associated risk factors. It has also been highlighted that better reporting is needed if programmes are to be replicated elsewhere (Fagan & Catalano, 2013).

The COVID-19 crisis has had (and will likely continue to have) a profound impact on Scotland. The indirect economic and social consequences of the circumstances and restrictions brought about by this pandemic have highlighted, and in many cases, worsened existing inequalities within our society (Jones et al., 2020; Scotland in Lockdown, 2020). By indirectly exacerbating key risk factors, COVID has the potential to contribute to increased rates of youth violence in Scotland (Irwin-Rogers et al., 2020; Cohen & Bosk, 2020). This timely report provides evidence for interventions that could be implemented to tackle this public health problem, and recommendations for evaluation research to strengthen our understanding of ‘what works’ going forward.