Tackling youth gang-related violence
in Glasgow: Results of the 2-year
pilot of the Community Initiative to
Reduce Violence
Will Linden
Violence Reduction Unit
Damien J. Williams, & Peter D. Donnelly
University of St Andrews
Staff at the Violence
Reduction unit
Staff at the
Community Initiative
to Reduce Violence
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
10th & 11th November 2011
Acknowledgements
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Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
• Violence in Scotland
• Violence in Glasgow
• Recreational violence
• Community Initiative to Reduce Violence
• Results: 12, 18, 24 months
• Conclusions
10th & 11th November 2011
Overview
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Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
10th & 11th November 2011
Violence in Scotland
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“pockets of extreme neighbourhood deprivation; a
culture of knife-carrying amongst young males;
sectarian/football violence; organized crime and
gang culture; and a heavy drinking culture coupled
with local ‘anti-heroes’ in the form of the ‘Glasgow
hardman”
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
A number of factors believed to account for the
high homicide rate in Glasgow (McAra, 2008, p.
486):
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Glasgow's tradition of violence
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• The Strathclyde Police Force area accounted for
55% of all Scottish homicides in 2009-10
(Scottish Government, 2010).
• The highest rate of homicide in Europe per head
of population.
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Annual Conference
Glasgow:
“Murder capital of Europe” (Marin, 2004)
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Glasgow Evening Times
Letters Page
14th March 1930
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
“It is depressing nowadays to take up ones paper
and read the daily catalogue of assaults and
murders with knives, razors and other lethal
weapons. Indeed slashing and stabbings are
becoming so common that they appear to be
accepted as part of our modern youth’s
recreation”
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Recreational violence
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•
•
•
•
White male age 12-23 years
Membership from 2 to 50
Organised around territory
Most share common background of
family neglect, poor living and
education opportunities and alcohol
abuse.
• Most have previous convictions
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
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• Typical Glasgow gang
(Strathclyde Police, CIRV, 2009)
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Gangs in Glasgow
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• Enforcement (Gangs Task Force)
• Moral Voice of the Community (The violence must stop)
• Services and Programmes
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• Based on the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce
Violence and Boston Ceasefire projects
• Initiated October 2008
• Multi-agency, community centred
• £5m intervention funded by Scottish government,
designed by Strathclyde police
• Treat gang as a unit for behavioural purpose
• 3 Components:
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
Community Initiative to Reduce Violence
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Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
10th & 11th November 2011
10th & 11th November 2011
Results: 12-month report
• By the end of 12 months
the reduction in the number
of violent acts was 18.5%
in those who did not engage
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
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• At the end of one year
violent acts by those
engaging in the program
were reduced by 49.2%
compared to 12 months preengagement
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Report available at:
www.actiononviolence.com
10th & 11th November 2011
Results: 18-month report
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
• By the end of 18 months
the average reduction
was 46% compared to 18
months pre-engagement
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Report available at:
www.actiononviolence.com
Intervention
group
Comparison
group
Assault
-11%
-14%
Breach of the peace
(gang fighting)
-73%
-57%
Possession of a knife
-59%
+19%
Possession of a
weapon (not knife)
-85%
-45%
Serious violence
-15%
+9%
All Violence
-47%
-25%
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
Violence:
10th & 11th November 2011
Results: 24-month report
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Report available at:
www.actiononviolence.com
Violent
offending
Other
crimes
CIRV Tackling Gang
Violence Programme
-46%
-28%
Onward referral to CIRV
employability
programme
-56%
-34%
Intensive one-to-one
support
-73%
-62%
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
Violence:
10th & 11th November 2011
Results: 24-month report
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Report available at:
www.actiononviolence.com
• Evidence of dose-response
• Still early days, so caution appropriate
• Consistent level of violence reduction across pilot
project
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
• Reduction in all violent acts committed by known
offenders is encouraging
10th & 11th November 2011
Conclussions
• Difficult to attribute cause and effect
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• Future roll-out
Scottish Faculty of Public Health
Annual Conference
17th & 18th November 2011
Thank you
Damien J. Williams
djw11@st-andrews.ac.uk
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