Reducing violence around young people
This is not just a ‘city problem’ and, shockingly, the inspectorates found that children as young as 11 are carrying knives for their own ‘protection’. In 2023, the Youth Endowment Fund surveyed 7,500 children in England and Wales, finding that 1 in 4 either had been a victim of violence or had perpetrated violence themselves. Almost half (47%) had witnessed violence in the last 12 months and 60% had seen ‘real world’ violent acts on social media.
The information above is taken from a report carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMI Probation). The report was carried out between September 2023 and May 2024(1) and is about multi agencies working collaboratively to essentially better safeguard young people from serious youth violence.
Today in 2025, we only have to flick the news on to hear about a stabbing or an attack involving young people which can often be on a daily basis. Sadly, I can only see these figures increasing unless we try find appropriate solutions to better reduce them.
A 2017 study carried out in Swedish prisons(2) concluded; that the yoga practiced in Swedish correctional facilities has positive effects on inmates’ well-being and on considerable risk factors associated with recidivism, such as impulsivity and antisocial behaviour. Accordingly, the results show that yoga practice can play an important part in the rehabilitation of prison inmates.
This study highlights the importance of early identification and early intervention, particularly with young people and whilst they still have the protective framework of school, youth clubs and other supportive organisations to help bridge the gaps. Yoga and what yoga provides in addition to the physical benefits include many phycological benefits including; anxiety regulation, emotional control, emotional distraction and generally reducing a persons sympathetic tone. This in itself is extremely important when working with vulnerable young people who may often be in a heightened state and one where their sympathetic tone is more dominant which means they will be primarily, in a state of stress or more commonly known as fight or flight.
I have experienced the immediate positive affects yoga can have on young people whilst working in an alternate provision centre, working with a young person who would often behave aggressively. We took part in some simple flow exercises and breath work which lasted around 10 minutes. After the session, he politely and calmly thanked me for the session and said that he feels chilled and relaxed and continued to have a positive day. Sadly, I wasn’t employed as a yoga teacher and the organisation wasn’t set up to cater for this type of intervention practice which is so true across many organisations. Many organisations will often identify the need and providing the service prior to establishing a structure and a safe space for the young people to take part. This will only end in a break down and the young person will feel let down.
I’m not suggesting that this intervention is the answer to all. But what I am saying is we don’t know what we don't know and from my experience from the number of schools I’ve worked in, none had interventions like this to support the students. I understand pressures that schools face with regards to results as well as other pressures and I empathise with teachers and the growing demands they face. The only effect this would have on an organisations workforce is positive. These interventions would only be successful as a preventative measure. If we react to an emotionally heightened young person by asking them to adopt the downward facing dog, it would only end negatively.
My vision, is to support organisations and work with them to produce a system that works and one where the young person can go and feel confident, safe and supported in that setting. Admittedly, some of the young people this would be aimed towards would feel vulnerable doing yoga in front of others or with others which is why it is so important to get it right during the early phases. My methods are not a stereotypical yoga teacher. I have over 10 years supporting young people as well as my own life experiences. My long term plan would be to set up my own space, a space that could support our young people and give them the opportunity to grow into a direction better suited to a more positive society.
If you’re in a position to discuss this further, please do! I’d welcome any group or organisation to get in touch and invite me to your location to discuss things in more detail.
With the right preventative approach we could arm a student or any young person with the right emotional and mindfulness tools to make them feel confident and safe. Tools that would replace the physical ones that are often and too easily being carried now.
Thank you for reading.
References:
(2) https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00204/full
