Preventing and identifying violence between young people

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Who are the guidelines for?

This guideline helps professionals working with children and young people to identify violence between young people and its different forms. The guideline includes recommendations for appropriate measures.

What factors may predispose a young person to violent behaviour?

As a professional, it is important to identify the factors that may contribute to violent behaviour among young people. Violence between young people is influenced by both individual and environmental factors.

Individual factors contributing to youth violence include

  • poor impulse control
  • difficulties with verbal skills and emotional regulation
  • substance use
  • exposure to violence.

Environmental factors that may predispose young people to violence include:

  • violence experienced at home or between family members
  • other forms of maltreatment
  • psychosocial stress factors related to family and peer relationships.

Forms of violence between young people

Violence among young people can take many different forms and is not limited to physical acts. Violence may be physical, verbal, psychological, social, or digital, and its effects can be long-lasting for both the victim and the perpetrator. It is important to identify the different forms of violence to intervene early and provide young people with the necessary help and support.

Forms of violence include:

  • Physical violence: e.g. hitting, kicking, pushing.
  • Verbal or other psychological violence: e.g. name-calling, threats, humiliation, intimidation, isolation.
  • Bullying: long-term and repeated violence that can be physical, psychological, social, or digital.
  • Dating violence: violence occurring in young people’s romantic relationships, such as controlling behaviour, jealousy, threats or physical violence, and stalking after a breakup.
  • Sexual violence: a sexual act without consent, such as unwanted touching or harassment, pressuring someone into sexual acts, sharing or sending sexual images without consent, or purchasing sexual services from a person under 18.
  • Digital violence: online bullying such as threatening or degrading messages, sharing private information, distributing images without permission, or excluding someone from groups.
  • Honour-related violence: violence used to control behaviour in the name of the honour of the family, extended family, or community.
  • Hate crimes: acts directed at a person, group, property, institution, or their representatives, motivated by prejudice or hostility toward the victim’s real or perceived characteristics (e.g. ethnic background, religion, sexual orientation).

Intervening in violence between young people

Intervening in violence is the responsibility of every adult working with children and young people.

If you suspect that a young person has been a victim of violence or is using violence against others, it is important to consider where and how the issue should be addressed.

Discuss the matter with the young person from the perspectives of both experiencing violence and committing violence. Note that the same person may be both a victim and a perpetrator.

When discussing violence with a young person, consider at least the following

  • Ask about violence as openly and non-judgmentally as possible and allow space for the young person to speak freely. Avoid questions that can be answered with yes or no.
  • If possible, identify underlying factors leading to violence: Does the young person use substances, have experiences of victimisation, or other risk factors?
  • Be aware of the legal obligations related to your profession and file the necessary reports, such as a child welfare notification.
    Child welfare notification
  • Refer the young person to appropriate support services.

National support services include

It is also important to identify local services in your area.

In emergency situations, always call 112.

Preventing violence between young people

Violence committed by peers, like other forms of violence, has negative consequences on the psychological well-being of both the victim and the perpetrator. School bullying is also a form of violence and can have serious effects on a young person’s well-being.

Preventing violence between young people requires measures at multiple levels. Methods should be tailored individually to the young person’s needs.

In prevention work, it is important to consider at least the following:

  • Interaction skills: Teach young people the self-regulation and interaction skills that they lack and cooperation skills, encourage hobbies, and support attachment to communities.
  • Inclusion: Consider how you can strengthen young people’s sense of belonging. The goal is to reduce the appeal of a criminal lifestyle by offering a clear and accessible alternative.
  • Addressing and preventing substance use problems: Intervene early in young people’s substance use. Effective substance abuse treatment or other support must be offered when needed. Substance use may increase violent behaviour and is associated with other harmful phenomena that can lead to violence.
  • Multi-professional cooperation: Addressing violence between young people requires close cross-sectoral collaboration. Multi-professional teams are particularly effective. Schools and educational institutions have multidisciplinary student welfare teams that can be contacted. In addition, for example, the Anchor model’s multi-professional teams include experts from the police, social services, health services, and youth services.

THL’s role

THL plays an important role in producing information related to violence between young people. We provide guidance for healthcare and social welfare professionals, support professionals in strengthening their expertise, and develop new approaches.

Contact details

Emilia Hämäläinen

Project Manager
tel. +358 29 524 8278
[email protected]