Evidence review on poverty and youth crime and violence: summary

Summary

The link between poverty and children’s involvement in crime and violence is well established. But the details of this relationship are complex and not fully understood.

To explore these complexities, the Youth Endowment Fund commissioned a systematic review by the Jill Dando Institute Research Laboratory at University College London (UCL).

The review examined research on young people aged 5 to 18. It focused on how different aspects of poverty relate to both violent and non-violent crime. It drew on studies from the UK and similar countries and also identified poverty-reducing interventions that YEF could evaluate for their impact on violence.