Research Hub
Research is key to a public health approach to violence prevention. This includes correctly identifying the issues, through to establishing effective interventions and evaluating what does and does not work to make Scotland safer.
In this section you’ll find new research and reports, a range of SVRU resources and evaluations of our work, an archive of older material and some useful links to the work of relevant organisations which may be of interest.
Please note evaluation reports are provided as a summary. Email violence.reduction@scotland.police.uk. If there is anything you would like to see us include in this section, get in touch.
Research and evaluation
Niddrie and Craigmillar community needs assessment
Read the views of more than 400 people from a community survey held in the Niddrie and Craigmillar area of Edinburgh.
Niddrie and Craigmillar community needs summary
Read the summary of key findings from the Niddrie and Craighall Community Needs Assessment.
A placed-based approach: Wallacetown
Explore key learnings from this Ayrshire-based project.
You Decide Team feasibility study
Examine the implementation of the You Decide Team service and read the recommendations.
Barbers in Arms project
Find out more about a collaborative pilot prevention project in Glasgow involving local barbers.
The You Decide Programme
Evaluating a group-based violence prevention pilot project for young people in Scotland.
Knife imagery research
Are images of seized knives an effective crime deterrent?
Helping the Helpers Programme
A programme developed to enhance the resilience of those working in frontline roles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community Navigator: HMP Kilmarnock
The overarching goal of Community Navigator is to provide appropriate interventions, support, and guidance.
Evaluations
The You Decide Programme
Knife imagery research
Helping the Helpers Programme
Community Navigator Service Evaluation: HMP Kilmarnock
Learning resource
Violence Prevention Toolkit
What works to prevent youth violence: a summary of the evidence. A practical resource for practitioners who work with young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in violence or who are already engaging in violent lifestyles.
Learning resource
Let’s Talk
Let’s Talk is a youth engagement and education project produced by Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum (Staf) and One Community Scotland (OCS), supported by the SVRU, which aims to develop conversations and understanding around Stop and Search.
The aim of the project is to educate young people on the reasons why police have the power of stop/search and why it is used in their communities. This project will also aim to help police officers understand young people’s views, thoughts and feelings on stop/search.
Young people from Staf’s Youth Justice Voices group and youth volunteers with OCS came together to discuss their experiences while also hearing the views of officers from Police Scotland’s National Stop and Search unit.
As a result, two short animations were produced to show two perspectives: one from a young person called JJ and the other from a police officer named Andy during and after a Stop and Search encounter.
The young people led the creative process, developing the scripts, characters, props and voiceovers, and developing an accompanying learning guide.
You can find out more about the project and using the learning guide here Let’s Talk | Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum)
Let‘s Talk: perspectives
More resources
Bystander Effect
A resource to aid in understanding of the bystander effect and the stages of bystander intervention.
Relationship-Based Practice
An introduction to Relationship-based Practice (RPB ) to help build healthy, resilient relationships.
RBP: The Drama Triangle
An aspect of relationship-based practice outlining the Drama Triangle and how this can impact relationships.
RPB: Relate, Rupture, Repair Cycle
An aspect of relationship-based practice looking at the cycle of rupture and repair in forming healthy relationships.
Journey of the VRU
A resource detailing the history of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and the ongoing work across the country.
Partner resources
partner resources
Helpful links
Find out more about projects the SVRU has supported in recent years.
You Decide Team
The You Decide Team is there for people when they decide they deserve a better life. Whether it’s those caught up in a violent lifestyle, people dealing with addiction, social isolation or someone looking to access training and employment, the You Decide Team can help them take control.
One Community Scotland
People really do make Glasgow and it is a city that prides itself on a warm welcome. At One Community Scotland we offer help and support to families and young people who are settling in to the city.
Teamwork
At the SVRU we’re all about teamwork – from youth projects and schools to the NHS, prison service, government at every level and, most importantly, communities. We look for opportunities to support and learn from others.