Agenda item

Agenda item

Notice of Motion - Serious Youth Violence and Trauma Informed Services

The Government’s austerity agenda has decimated police numbers and stripped youth service provision to the bone over the years, and this has clearly had an impact on the growth of Serious Youth Crime. The lives impacted by Serious Youth Crime often means we see lives cut short and futures lost. Families, friends, and communities devastated for what a turf war, toxic masculinity or more dangerously, criminal exploitation?

 

A 2021 report from Manchester Metropolitan University on Serious Youth Violence shows that while crime has fallen rapidly over the last 20 years, serious youth violence defined by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) as ‘any drug, robbery or violence against the person offence that has a gravity score of five of more’ – has been rising with figures showing that both perpetrators and victims of these offences are getting younger. According to the Youth Violence Commission Final Report, SYV in England and Wales generated a total economic and social cost of £1.3 billion in 2018/19; a rise of over 50 per cent since 2014/15.

 

Though the social and economic reasons for serious youth violence are multiple. However, one commonality is that serious youth violence is underpinned by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The 2021 report noted that youth justice workers interviewed for this research noted the high prevalence of ACEs among the children they work with. They noted how rare it was for a child to have only one or two ACEs, with most children having many more.

 

Adverse childhood trauma affects physical health, emotional balance, academic and professional capabilities and often interrupts lives with early death.

 

Therefore, this motion calls on Manchester City Council in 2022, which is also Manchester’s year of the child to champion not only greater awareness of ACEs and its consequences but ensure that children should receive trauma informed interventions by professionals at the point of adverse experiences. Children should have access to these services via schools, social services and health services. Early intervention in a child’s life can not only reduce the consequences of ACE but also potentially reduce the number of children presenting to services for Serious Youth Violence offences but also reduce the economic and social cost of Serious Youth Violence.

 

Proposed by Councillor M Dar, seconded by Councillor

Igbon and also signed (via email) by Councillors Battle, Doswell, Hussain and Riasat.

Minutes:

The Government’s austerity agenda has decimated police numbers and stripped youth service provision to the bone over the years, and this has clearly had an impact on the growth of Serious Youth Crime. The lives impacted by Serious Youth Crime often means we see lives cut short and futures lost. Families, friends, and communities devastated for what a turf war, toxic masculinity or more dangerously, criminal exploitation?

 

A 2021 report from Manchester Metropolitan University Serious Youth Violence shows that while crime has fallen rapidly over the last 20 years, serious youth violence defined by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) as ‘any drug, robbery or violence against the person offence that has a gravity score of five of more’ – has been rising with figures showing that both perpetrators and victims of these offences are getting younger. According to the Youth Violence Commission Final Report, SYV in England and Wales generated a total economic and social cost of £1.3 billion in 2018/19; a rise of over 50 per cent since 2014/15.

 

Though the social and economic reasons for serious youth violence are multiple. However, one commonality is that serious youth violence is underpinned by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The 2021 report noted that youth justice workers interviewed for this research noted the high prevalence of ACEs among the children they work with. They noted how rare it was for a child to have only one or two ACEs, with most children having many more.

 

Adverse childhood trauma affects physical health, emotional balance, academic and professional capabilities and often interrupts lives with early death.

Therefore, this motion calls on Manchester City Council in 2022, which is also Manchester’s year of the child to champion not only greater awareness of ACEs and its consequences but ensure that children should receive trauma informed interventions by professionals at the point of adverse experiences. Children should have access to these services via schools, social services and health services. Early intervention in a child’s life can not only reduce the consequences of ACE but also potentially reduce the number of children presenting to services for Serious Youth Violence offences but also reduce the economic and social cost of Serious Youth Violence.

 

Motion proposed and seconded:

 

Resolution

 

The motion was put to Council and voted on and the Lord Mayor declared that it was carried unanimously.

 

Decision

 

The Government’s austerity agenda has decimated police numbers and stripped youth service provision to the bone over the years, and this has clearly had an impact on the growth of Serious Youth Crime. The lives impacted by Serious Youth Crime often means we see lives cut short and futures lost. Families, friends, and communities devastated for what a turf war, toxic masculinity or more dangerously, criminal exploitation?

 

A 2021 report from Manchester Metropolitan University Serious Youth Violence shows that while crime has fallen rapidly over the last 20 years, serious youth violence defined by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) as ‘any drug, robbery or violence against the person offence that has a gravity score of five of more’ – has been rising with figures showing that both perpetrators and victims of these offences are getting younger. According to the Youth Violence Commission Final Report, SYV in England and Wales generated a total economic and social cost of £1.3 billion in 2018/19; a rise of over 50 per cent since 2014/15.

 

Though the social and economic reasons for serious youth violence are multiple. However, one commonality is that serious youth violence is underpinned by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The 2021 report noted that youth justice workers interviewed for this research noted the high prevalence of ACEs among the children they work with. They noted how rare it was for a child to have only one or two ACEs, with most children having many more.

 

Adverse childhood trauma affects physical health, emotional balance, academic and professional capabilities and often interrupts lives with early death.

 

Therefore, this motion calls on Manchester City Council in 2022, which is also Manchester’s year of the child to champion not only greater awareness of ACEs and its consequences but ensure that children should receive trauma informed interventions by professionals at the point of adverse experiences. Children should have access to these services via schools, social services and health services. Early intervention in a child’s life can not only reduce the consequences of ACE but also potentially reduce the number of children presenting to services for Serious Youth Violence offences but also reduce the economic and social cost of Serious Youth Violence.

 

(Councillor M Dar declared a personal interest in the item for the reason he is the CEO of a youth organisation (Community on Solid Ground)).