Latest news with #YEF
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Every school could appoint a teacher to tackle violence against girls
Every school could appoint a teacher to tackle violence against girls under plans being considered by ministers. The move follows research by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) which found one in eight (13 per cent) of 4,700 secondary teachers surveyed had reported a child sexually assaulting another pupil at their school in the past term. That equates to just over 3,000 of the 233,000 teachers in secondary schools in England and Wales. The charity, which was set up with a £200 million endowment from the Home Office, recommended that every school should appoint a lead teacher to tackle violence against women and girls. It said evidence showed that school initiatives to combat sexual violence – such as lessons, awareness campaigns and training – could reduce dating and relationship violence by an average of 17 per cent. A government source indicated the proposal was being considered ahead of Labour publishing its strategy on violence against women and girls this summer. Labour has pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. It comes amid growing concern about the scale of sexual violence and misogyny among teenagers, which academics have blamed on the influence of social media and figures such as Andrew Tate. It was highlighted in the Netflix drama Adolescence which portrayed a 13-year-old boy killing a classmate after being radicalised by misogyny online. Previous research by the YEF, based on 10,000 teenagers, found nearly half (49 per cent) of 13- 17-year-olds in a romantic relationship that year experienced violent or controlling behaviour – equivalent to 464,345 children in England and Wales, or one in eight teenagers. Jon Yates, chief executive of the YEF, said: 'Netflix's Adolescence has shone a much-needed spotlight on the toxic influences boys are growing up with. It's time to act. 'Research shows that lessons on healthy relationships can make a real difference. The Labour government has the opportunity to make a bold statement that violence against women and girls will not be tolerated. 'Over the past decade, schools have led the charge in breaking down the stigma around mental health and providing crucial support for young people. With the right resources, training and leadership, they can have a similar transformative impact in tackling violence against women and girls.' Yet the latest research, published on Thursday, found many teachers felt ill-equipped to tackle the problem. The surveys of up to 6,000 staff by TeacherTapp, suggested more than half (55 per cent) of secondary school teachers said they lacked the confidence or expertise to deliver personal, social and health education (PSHE) to children. Nearly a third (31 per cent) of secondary teachers who taught PSHE had never received training to deliver these subjects while 45 per cent said they lacked confidence in teaching how to intervene if someone witnessed a sexual assault The charity urged the Government to invest £1 million to pilot the creation of lead teachers to tackle violence against women and girls across 50 schools and colleges. They would be responsible for drawing up school-wide strategies, improving PHSE lessons, bringing in specialist external providers and training other staff members. The Government should then be prepared to invest £35 million in England and £2 million in Wales to scale up the initiative if shown to be successful.
The Guardian
27-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Banning us from social media is ‘neither practical nor effective', UK teenagers say
Banning teenagers from social media is neither a 'practical nor effective' solution to the growing problem of youth violence, young people from across the UK have told MPs. Although Australia has implemented a social media ban for under-16s, a better solution would be to strengthen regulation deterring social media companies from promoting violent and age-inappropriate content, the youth select committee of the UK youth parliament concluded in its report examining the links between social media and youth violence. The report stated that this was because there were benefits to being online, such as learning about the world and forming connections, and because an age ban would be too easy to circumvent. Wania Eshaal Ahmad, the chair of the youth select committee, said: 'The inquiry has made one thing clear: that social media companies should do more to protect young people from violent and harmful content. 'The committee believes that a social media ban, like in Australia, is neither practical nor effective. Instead, tech companies must be held accountable.' The committee's membership is made up of 14- to 19-year-olds, who examined written evidence from teens across the UK as well as from experts. They urged the government to involve young people in policymaking that affects them at every stage of its development, and specifically those from marginalised and under-represented groups. Asking for the introduction of a youth advisory panel on Ofcom, they noted: 'We have heard little evidence that Ofcom has engaged with young people on online safety.' They recommended that the government create a consumer-facing online safety standards rating, which would evaluate platforms on their safety measures, responsiveness to harmful content, and efforts to educate users. This would serve as a scorecard giving users accessible information about how safe an online space is. The committee members added: 'We are not persuaded that the Online Safety Act is robust enough to enforce minimum age limits on social media platforms and ensure children and young people will be protected from harmful content.' They suggested that Ofcom should report annually to parliament on whether the act was proving effective in holding tech companies accountable for providing safe online spaces. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The report cited a 2024 survey from the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) of 10,000 young people aged between 13 and 17, which found that 70% had encountered some form of violence on social media in the past 12 months, though only 6% had been actively searching for it. The most common form of violence viewed online was fights involving young people, reported by over half of 13- to 17-year-olds. The same survey found that one in five children had been a victim of some sort of violence in the past year, while 16% had perpetrated violence themselves. The report also cited research from the children's commissioner for England noting that exposure to online violence 'can desensitise them to violence, normalise aggressive behaviour and, in some instances, lead to retaliatory violence', and suggested that the government should commission research to establish whether there is a causal link, which would feed into the Online Safety Act. The role of toxic influencers was also cited, including comments from the YEF that 'influencers' presentation of crime as a lucrative career option can seem enticing' to young people in 'challenging socioeconomic conditions with concerns about their future opportunities'. The report asked the government to work with social media companies to address the harmful content spread by influencers, and to ensure it is not rewarded financially. On Wednesday, the head of Ofsted added his voice to calls for headteachers to ban smartphones in schools in England. Martyn Oliver, who is chief inspector of the schools watchdog, said heads already had the necessary powers and Ofsted would back those who make the tough decision to ban phones. In a Q&A with parents, he said children's developing brains should not be 'bombarded by non-human algorithms that might be preying upon them', adding: 'It's harmful and it's damaging, so I do believe they should be banned. Ofsted will support schools in banning phones.' Oliver, who led a large multi-academy trust before taking on the top job at Ofsted, said he had walked into schools in special measures that were in utter chaos, with mobile phone use rife. 'And within those schools, within days of banning phones, and as hard as that is initially, you get an immediate sense of calmness across the school.' The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has asked officials to look into how to monitor more effectively the use of smartphones in schools in England. She told a gathering of headteachers: 'The government's position is clear: you have our full backing in ridding our classrooms of the disruption of phones.' A government spokesperson said: 'We are making our streets and online spaces safer for children through delivering our plan for change. Last week, the key provisions of the Online Safety Act came into effect so that online services are required to take action to protect children from illegal content and criminal activity occurring on their platforms. 'This is just the beginning, and in summer additional protection will prevent children from encountering harmful material like pornography and violent and abusive content.'
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zombie knife ban won't solve crisis - but there is hope, says Idris Elba
Banning the sale of zombie knives is a positive step, but schools need to intervene earlier to help tackle the UK's knife crime crisis, says Idris Elba. The actor, 52, has spent the last year making a documentary for the BBC about solutions to knife crime, during which he met victims' families, police officers and teenage offenders. In addition to early intervention, he told the BBC that ninja swords should be banned and even suggested domestic knives could be made less dangerous. "Not all kitchen knives need to have a point on them, that sounds like a crazy thing to say," he adds, "but you can still cut your food without the point on your knife, which is an innovative way to look at it." A total of 507 children were treated in English hospitals for knife injuries in the 12 months to April 2024, according to the latest figures analysed by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF). "I've got three kids," says Elba. "As a parent, that's always going through your mind." In the documentary, called Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis, the Hollywood star meets a 17-year-old boy at Feltham young offender institution who first began carrying a blade when he was 13. He grew up in a violent home and had been badly bullied at school for having dandruff. "I looked around and saw that the only people who ain't getting bullied are the people who are this certain way," the teenager tells Elba, "so I felt the need to become that person." 'Progress is being made to stop youth knife crime' Starmer pledges knife crime action after No 10 summit Youth have knife crime solutions - Idris Elba Asked by Elba how that made him feel, the boy says: "When I had a knife I felt like I could do anything, like I was a god – nobody could touch me. "It makes you the bad man in the situation. Then push comes to shove and you end up using it." He stabbed someone and was a couple of months into his sentence for grievous bodily harm when Elba met him. The figures from the YEF, a charity that uses government funding to help prevent children becoming involved in violence, show that knife crime remains a persistent problem for young people. Elba says that, while the ban on zombie knives implemented last September was "a massive step in the right direction", the country is still in a crisis. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said last week, following the sentencing of the teenager who murdered three young girls in Southport, that the government would bring in tougher checks for people trying to buy knives online. Elba believes more attention needs to be paid to children in their pre and early teens, with disciplinary action like school exclusions, used as an opportunity to intervene in a young person's life. "When a young child is excluded, they're more likely to go towards a dark place," he says, but adds: "There are indicators of hope. There are intervention schemes that are really working and that no-one really knows about." Jayden, 16, is a beneficiary. He started carrying a knife when he was 12 after a group of 20 boys started on him in a park in Coventry. One swung an axe at him. "Ever since then I didn't step outside without a knife," he tells the documentary. "You're going to be scared after that, aren't you?… You're going to want to protect yourself some way and that was the only way I could think of." He was eventually referred to the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (Cirv), which is operated by West Midlands Police. They identify teenagers who might commit or become a victim of knife crime and intervene before a stabbing takes place. They then find education and career opportunities that suit each individual. They sought out Jayden as there were concerns of him being involved in gang activities and carrying a knife. He had been excluded from school several times and kicked out of his family home. He was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Through Cirv, Jayden joined a football academy and now aspires to be a coach. He has stopped carrying a knife but says the dangers remain. "It is still quite normal where I'm from to see someone carrying a blade on them," he says. "I nearly got two pulled out on me this week." He paid tribute to PC Laura Cuthbertson who has mentored him as part of Cirv, though the funding for the scheme runs out in six months. According to the Ministry of Justice, inmates with the highest rate of reoffending are aged 10-17. The scheme costs £1,500 per child each year and Elba wants more funding for initiatives like this - that intervene in a child's life before they commit a crime. "There needs to be a very radical look at where we spend our money," he says. "How we spend our money, what are the effective solutions versus the ones that we're wasting a lot of money on that aren't effective." Jayden tells Elba when he first joined Cirv he had no confidence in himself and was scared. "I value life a lot more now," he says. "There's some beauty in the world for me, that wasn't there before." Diana Johnson, minister for policing, fire and crime prevention, says the government has already banned zombie knives and it was progressing with a ban on "ninja swords". "In the longer term, we need to ensure that the right prevention systems are in place to stop crime in its tracks." Idris Elba: Our Knife Crime Crisis From the streets to the system, Idris uncovers how we can break the cycle. Watch now on BBC iPlayer or on Wednesday, 29 January at 21:00 GMT on BBC One. 'If mine is bigger, I'm going to win': Getting zombie knives off the streets Zombie knives still for sale online despite ban, BBC finds
