This intervention is being developed by the Humber VPP, based on the knife crime educational offer that has been developed by Northumbria VRU.
This activity sits within the Humber VPP’s under Earlier Intervention and Prevention, ensuring that professionals and volunteers working with children, young people and their families are able to identify signs that could be a precursor to future involvement in violence (as a victim and/or perpetrator) and that they are aware of and can 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 also enhance community capacity and leadership in that it will enable the voluntary and community sector to have the knowledge, skills, and capacity to maximise its contribution to preventing serious violence.
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, the Humber VPP commissioned Northern Visuals to produce a series of short videos/interviews featuring a variety of professionals with experience of knife crime. The video footage will be embedded in a training package to support delivery of “spotting the signs” knife/weapon crime awareness sessions to relevant partner agency and VCS organisation staff and will also have the potential to be used as stand-alone material to support awareness campaigns.
A trauma informed approach to delivery of this programme will be 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.
