New YEF guidance: six recommendations to prevent children's involvement in violence
The Society of Evidence Based Policing was pleased to contribute to the development of new guidance from the Youth Endowment Fund - Policing, Children and Violence. This guidance is a strong example of what we exist to promote: policing practice that is genuinely shaped by evidence.
The YEF's guidance sets out six recommendations for police forces across England and Wales to help prevent children's involvement in violence. The recommendations draw on new YEF research and the best available international evidence, and have been shaped by an expert panel of police officers, commissioners, academics and other specialists. Bringing together evidence and frontline expertise has helped ensure the recommendations are practical, relevant and useful to police forces.
The six recommendations are organised around three themes:
Treat children as children:
Translate child-centred policing into everyday practice.
Audit how you safeguard children to prevent violence.
Focus on what works: 3. Take a problem-oriented policing approach. 4. Stop harmful approaches and deprioritise approaches without a robust evidence base. 5. Improve the quality of stop and search.
Do diversion well: 6. Build an effective and fair out-of-court resolution approach.
Alongside the guidance, the YEF has also published four new evidence reviews exploring key areas of policing practice:
Safeguarding children involved in violence: Insights for 'best practice' in policing
Child-centred policing in practice: Insights from children and young people
Policing's Response to Children's Exploitation in Drug Markets
Review of evidence-based practice in policing to prevent children from being involved in violence
You can learn more about the YEF's new guidance at the National Evidence-Based Policing Conference 2026, taking place in Milton Keynes on 23 and 24 September 2026. The YEF will have a stand in the the Exhibition Area, where you can meet the team and find out more about the guidance. The YEF will also be presenting in the breakout sessions on Wednesday afternoon.
Make sure you check it out!
