Children, violence and vulnerability report header
Detective Superintendent Siobhan Gainer, Head of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP), said: “As an organisation who put young people’s views at the top of our agenda, we are concerned about their perception of violent crime, expressed in the Youth Endowment Report.
Their views may not always correlate with the actual figures, for example the reduction in homicides recorded, but none-the-less one violent crime against a young person is one too many.
The Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership works with young people from cradle to adulthood on programmes that change negative behaviours and views such as misogyny and homophobia. Pupils at our schools have been encouraged to be safe, active bystanders, and to understand the impact of issues such as bullying and sending harmful social media abuse, through our Mentors in Violence Prevention programme. Our sports, arts, and culture schemes meanwhile, have diverted young people into positive activities that will help them through their life.
These programmes need society’s backing, and it is particularly interesting that the Report focuses on the role music and social media is having upon young people’s involvement and fear of crime.
Although as a national report this will have significant variations, it has nonetheless challenged us to continue and expand the reach of our programmes, so that Merseyside and indeed Britain, is a safe place for young people to live in.”