We need to be heard: A call to tackle violence affecting young people — informed by the voices of experience

Read PAC’s new interim report.

This interim report shares the story so far from the Peer Action Collective (PAC) — a youth-led network working to make communities safer and fairer by tackling the root causes of violence.

Launched in 2021, PAC brings together young people to lead change in their communities. This current phase builds on that foundation, with a new cohort of PAC teams continuing the work to understand and prevent youth violence.

PAC is funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, the #iwill Fund (a joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport), and the Co-op Group. It’s powered by more than 70 young people across England and Wales, employed by local Delivery Partners and supported by The Young Foundation. These young leaders are trained peer researchers, using evidence and lived experience to create meaningful change through social action.

In 2024, PAC teams spoke to over 500 of their peers about the systems and supports young people need to avoid involvement in violence — and what needs to change. Peer Researchers aged 16–25 led the research themselves: designing questions, carrying out research with other young people, analysing findings and sharing what they learned.

This report sets out their early insights and priorities. A full findings report will follow in September 2025. Across seven research projects, PAC teams explored young people’s experiences of:

• Trusted adults – and how they can better protect, support and champion young people.
• Schools – and how to create inclusive environments that reduce exclusions and help young people feel heard.
• Positive activities – and how safe, engaging spaces can protect young people from harm.

A clear message runs throughout: young people are experts in their own lives. They want to be listened to, taken seriously, and given the chance to lead. PAC teams are asking adults, services and decision-makers to work with them, not for them. Their recommendations include:

• Investing time and resources to build trust and unlock young people’s potential.
• Creating supportive spaces where young people can take action, grow in confidence, and feel heard.
• Thinking bigger, challenging structural barriers, and backing youth-led change.

This is not a final word — it’s a powerful starting point. It shows what’s possible when young people are trusted to lead and reminds us that real change must be shaped with them, not just for them.

Find out more about PAC here

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