Youth Violence: The Case for Early Investment in Youth Violence & Gang Prevention
Youth violence and gang involvement remain critical challenges, with thousands of young people affected each year. In England alone, an estimated 27,000 children (aged 10–17) are involved in street gangs, and over 300,000 know someone who is in a gang. Rates of serious violence involving youth have risen compared to a decade ago; for example, 99 young people (age 16–24) were homicide victims in 2022/23, higher than ten years prior, and youth knife injuries have surged by 47% over the same period. These figures underscore the urgency of prevention efforts.
Early intervention is crucial because youth violence often escalates to chronic adult criminality if left unchecked. Research shows 80% of prolific adult offenders began their offending path as children. Steering adolescents away from violence and gangs can therefore dramatically shrink the pool of future criminals. It also yields significant social and economic benefits. Youth crime and violence cost UK taxpayers about £1.5 billion per year in enforcement and damages. By contrast, the cost of proactive prevention is far lower – and highly cost-effective. One analysis found that investing roughly £350 million over ten years in Violence Reduction Units (multi-agency youth violence prevention teams) would likely save society billions. In fact, youth violence would need to drop only 3% for such prevention investment to pay for itself, given that the status quo is projected to cost £10 billion in youth violence over the next decade. Clearly, smart up-front investments in prevention can avert enormous downstream costs.
For funders, supporting early intervention programs is a high-impact strategy. Effective prevention keeps young people in school, connected to positive networks, and out of the justice system, which in turn builds safer communities long term. Every pound spent on mentoring, youth clubs, family support, and early outreach can yield many times that in savings by reducing crime and its consequences. Beyond financial return, early investment means fewer lives lost or ruined by violence. In sum, the evidence makes a compelling case: funding youth violence and gang prevention today is not only morally right, but also strategically smart – cutting crime, saving money, and giving youth a chance to thrive away from violence.
