New Loughborough University study shows safe spaces in sport are vital for the prevention of youth knife crime

Safe spaces provided by sporting clubs and community initiatives are vital for the prevention of youth knife crime, a Loughborough University study has found.
Researchers highlighted that such spaces provide young people at risk of knife crime a stable environment in which they can develop themselves and interact safely with mentors and others without fear of judgement or personal harm.

Additionally, findings showed that it provides individuals with the stability and protection they would otherwise not have in their lives.

The report also details the importance of understanding the reasoning behind why youths may be of risk and vulnerable to knife crime. This goes beyond the physical place where they live – the postcode – but also details the social, economic, emotional, and psychological 'place' they are in.

The two-phase research programme, conducted by Dr Holly Collison-Randall, Professor Aaron Smith, and PhD student Anna Farello, targeted selected sports programmes in the UK via surveys and in-depth virtual interviews with coaches and managers of six such projects across London boroughs.

(Source: Loughborough University)