AN increase in petty violence among Glasgow’s teenagers could lead to a rise in serious violent crime in the coming years if attitudes go unchecked, an expert has warned.
The topic of youth violence has been in the headlines after the success of Netflix hit Adolescence, with creators Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne shining a light on the views and influences that can lead to serious violence.
Last year, Scotland saw 13,695 violent crimes where the accused was under the age of 18, according to Police Scotland statistics.
Most of these instances took place in either open spaces, residential schools/ accommodation or educational premises.
Research conducted by Glasgow LibDems revealed that 2790 violent incidents have taken place in schools within Glasgow in this academic year so far.
Nationwide statistics show that there have been 24,387 similar instances across Scotland.
These numbers are set to eclipse the 2023/24 figure of 40,382 total violent incidents within schools.
Additionally, the Scottish Government has reported that 70% of all female pupils have experienced some form of gender-based violence.
The Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) was founded in 2005 by Strathclyde Police and is an organisation that aims to reduce rates of violence nationwide.
Since the release of Adolescence, the focus on youth violence from the public has led to further investigation into the exact data on violent crimes in Glasgow.
Will Linden, deputy head of SVRU, said: “If you look at more serious violence like attempted murder, serious assault, homicide, etc, in Glasgow, the numbers have remained relatively static.
“What we are seeing is a different trend in the violence. We have seen an increase in ‘petty’ violence, and these kinds of low-level violence, particularly among young people.
“We are seeing upticks in the 11 to 14-year-old age. This doesn’t result in people in hospital, but it means that we have an increase in violence at a low level that, in time and if left unchecked, could come in and start to increase those rates of serious violence.”
While it may be easy to pin youth violence on one contributing factor, as shown in Adolescence, it is a multi-faceted issue that can be caused by a variety of societal issues.
Linden said: “There is not a simple explanation.
“Some people blame Covid, or the internet, or lack of services and lack of support with youth services and that engagement, particularly in such formative years, but schools are also needing more support in terms of teaching assistants and alternative curriculums.
“What we’ve got is a perfect storm of challenges that’s causing a significant worry in our young people.
“When I watched Adolescence, I was taken aback by it.
“Some people have said it should be used as a learning tool. It’s not a learning tool; it’s a piece of drama. However, it is actually a very effective conversation opener. It’s helping to open debate and understanding.
“The show is an amalgamation of things that can happen. I’ve seen similar things in cases across the world.
“Could this happen in Glasgow? Absolutely. Should it happen? Absolutely not. This is why we need to have these conversations, take that learning, and move forward.”
There are currently a wide range of programmes and campaigns done at a localised level to help fight against youth and gender-based violence.
The Be A Man initiative by Better Life has seen success and is currently being delivered in schools, along with programmes from organisations such as White Ribbon and Women’s Aid.
The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme is a Scotland-based peer education service.
The MVP initiative is designed to protect young people from gender-based violence and abuse.
MVP achieves this by addressing the views and behaviours that lead to violence directly, encouraging a shift in the culture that allows these dangerous attitudes to develop.
Councillor Christina Cannon (below), city convener for education and early years, has spoken out about the value of programmes that combat unhealthy perspectives around gender and violence, emphasising the importance of tackling these issues at the root of the problem.
She said: “It is important to explore violence through a gendered lens which is why the majority of Glasgow’s secondary schools are currently delivering the MVP programme which aims to challenge the cultural norms and beliefs that underpin gender-based violence.
“In Glasgow, we have 200 schools with almost 70,000 pupils and we will continue to look at ways and initiatives alongside schools, stakeholders, families and young people to reduce inappropriate behaviour.
“We all have a role to play and our young people have been leading the way in delivering this message to their peers.
“We have recently had a delegation from the ‘Girls4Equality’ group at the council’s Education, Skills and Early Years Committee where we heard directly from young women about their experiences in school.
“Based on this feedback, Education Services and myself as the relevant city convener are now looking at expanding this training to include S1-S6 pupils, and crucially include young men in these conversations.
“No-one should feel afraid to either go to their work or attend school.”
