The effects of arts and culture programmes on youth crime: A rapid review

Are arts and culture-based interventions effective in reducing serious youth violence?
In recent years, the issues of serious youth violence and knife-carrying have escalated to become pressing societal challenges, with knife crime increasing by 27% in the ten years to 2023/24 (Ministry of Justice, 2025). Interventions aiming to reduce serious youth violence have taken various approaches, with some focussing on arts and culture as a way to engage, support and impact the behaviour of young people.
This review maps the current landscape of these programmes and reviews the evidence on how effective they are in reducing youth violence, highlighting considerable gaps in our understanding of the impact of these interventions.
Findings are based on a systematic mapping exercise of programmes currently being delivered in England and a review of evaluations of arts/culture-based programmes since 2010, as well as interviews with professional stakeholders (decision-makers, practitioners and academics within the field) and data from justice-involved children and young people participating in arts/culture programmes.
The current landscape of programmes:
The map of current arts/culture-based programmes addressing youth violence reveals a diverse range of initiatives, led by dedicated practitioners in community, secure and Youth Justice settings. However, many of these programmes are limited by a lack of cohesive, structured delivery and inconsistent funding. Programmes are often funded on an ad-hoc and short-term basis leading to fragmented and uncoordinated delivery and resulting in uneven implementation and inequality of access. Stakeholders – including decision-makers, practitioners and academics – express concern that the short-term nature of funding undermines the stability necessary for meaningful engagement with children and young people involved with (or at risk of entering) the YJS, and in so doing, reduces the reach and impact of programmes.
Are programmes effective in reducing youth violence?
The evidence on the effectiveness of arts and culture programmes is limited and inconclusive. This doesn’t mean they aren’t effective, but rather, that we lack sufficient evidence to confirm their impact.
Many of the evaluations lack robust controls, adequate sample sizes, or validated measures, making it hard to determine effectiveness. However, a few studies do show statistically significant positive results, such as improved compliance with Youth Justice orders, and self-reported improvements in wellbeing, attitudes towards offending, and engagement with Education, Training and Employment, and reduced likelihood of carrying a knife.
In addition, the research consistently provides qualitative, small-scale evidence (from discussions with practitioners and young people) of positive effects on well-being, engagement and behaviour. These changes are linked with our wider knowledge of factors that support the desistance process.
There is a lack of long-term follow-up data assessing whether the changes reported post-programme were sustained. Whilst a small number of studies report follow-up data indicating some degree of sustained improvements in the weeks and months following programmes, it is not possible to determine whether these changes occurred as a result of the programme.
Recommendations for policy
An opportunity presents itself for researchers, policymakers, practitioners and young people, to reimagine how programmes are offered, delivered and evaluated to ensure that children and young people benefit fully and their impact can be effectively demonstrated. Next steps:
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Develop a robust infrastructure for the funding, development and delivery of long-term, programmes based on the General Theory of Change.
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Develop a collaborative research agenda between policymakers, researchers, academics and organisations delivering arts/culture programmes to ‘at risk’ / justice-involved children and young people.