We developed this campaign based on the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit's (VRU) anti-knife educational resources.
Breaking the Cycle sits within 'Earlier Intervention and Prevention.' The campaign helps professionals and volunteers working with children, young people and their families to identify signs that could be a precursor to future involvement in violence (as a victim and/or perpetrator) and facilitate access to appropriate support. It also provides places with the greatest prevalence of serious violence with support and resources to prevent future incidents occurring.
The intervention will improve community capacity and leadership by giving the voluntary and community sector the knowledge, skills and capacity to maximise its contribution to preventing serious violence.
Anti-knife crime education programmes aim to reduce knife carrying amongst children and young people. These interventions emphasise the legal consequences, physical harm and emotional impacts that arise from violence involving knives.
Building from the need to raise awareness about the consequences of knife crime, knife carrying and to deter children and young people away from carrying or using knives, we commissioned Northern Visuals to produce a series of short videos/interviews featuring a variety of professionals with experience of knife crime.
The video footage has been embedded in a training package to support delivery of “spotting the signs” anti-knife/weapon crime awareness sessions to relevant partner agency and VCS organisation staff. Supporting awareness campaign materials have also been developed in support of the educational resources.
A trauma informed approach to delivery of this programme has been used. Trauma-informed practice aims to increase practitioners’ awareness of how trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can negatively impact on individuals and communities, and their ability to feel safe or develop trusting relationships with staff.
