The Violence Prevention Framework – what does this mean locally?

 

Back in March 2024, we partnered with the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) for one of our most well-attended sessions to date — over 110 people joined online to dig into Scotland’s Violence Prevention Framework and, crucially, what it actually means on the ground.

The session brought together voices from the SVRU, YouthLink Scotland, and the Scottish Government’s Violence Reduction Policy Unit. Three presentations, two workshops, and a lot of rich conversation later, it was clear that this is a topic people care deeply about.

 

The data tells one story. Reality tells another.

Will Linden, Co-Deputy Head of the SVRU, opened with the numbers — and they are genuinely encouraging. Scotland’s homicide rate has halved since 2008-09. Hospital admissions from sharp object assaults have fallen by 72%. These are hard-won gains. But as Will was quick to point out, violence and its associated harms remain stubbornly concentrated in specific communities. Progress at the national level doesn’t always translate to what people are experiencing locally.

The VPF’s public health approach frames prevention across three levels — primary (tackling the conditions that breed violence before it starts), secondary (early intervention), and tertiary (responding after the fact). The message was simple: prevention is the most effective and cost-efficient approach, and it needs sustained investment and collaboration across every sector.

 

Young people: a closer look

Emily Beever from YouthLink Scotland and Ross McCallum from the SVRU led a focused session on young people and violence — a topic that generated plenty of discussion. The picture is nuanced. Most young people are not involved in violence. But there are real and growing pressures: the legacy of COVID on relationships and belonging, gaps in conflict resolution skills, rising child poverty, mental health challenges, and the increasingly complicated role of social media.

The session also explored children’s rights-based approaches to prevention, grounding the discussion in Scotland’s legal obligations under the UNCRC — a reminder that how we respond to young people matters as much as whether we respond.

Workshop discussions ranged from dysregulation in primary schools (and the communication gap between school and home that makes early intervention so hard) to the ripple effect of COVID — children who were around 10 during lockdown are now teenagers, and practitioners are seeing the consequences. The ‘Think Equal’ project, working with nurseries to build emotional resilience in 3-6 year olds, was highlighted as a strong example of genuinely upstream prevention.

 

Communities: who are we actually talking to?

Will Linden and James Docherty wrapped up with a session on supporting communities — and some of the frankest conversation of the day happened here.

One point that really landed: the people organisations are currently engaging with on violence prevention might not be the right people. Real community change requires reaching those who young people actually trust — grassroots figureheads, local influencers, people with credibility on the ground. Consultation isn’t the same as co-production.

There was also an honest reckoning with silo working. Everyone agreed it persists, everyone agreed it needs to change. Local partnerships were recognised as being well-placed to lead — but consistently under-resourced. One participant offered a useful reframe: resources are more than money. People, knowledge, and lived experience often carry equal or greater value.

 

Where things landed

Katie Wotherspoon, Violence Reduction Policy Manager at the Scottish Government, closed with a clear message: no single organisation has all the answers, and meeting the aims of the VPF requires genuine collaboration — wherever you sit, whatever level of prevention you work at.

The Chief Officer of SCSN at the time, Lorraine Gillies, echoed that and called on everyone to keep the conversations going — noting that with over 110 attendees, it was obvious violence prevention is an urgent, shared priority. A commitment was made for the Scottish Government, SVRU, and SCSN to meet and discuss next steps.

Participants gave the session 4 out of 5 stars, with many highlighting the value of hearing from practitioners across Scotland and having space to share ideas.

 

 

---

If you’d like to know more about this session or request a copy of the presentation slides, please get in touch at hello@scscotland.org.uk