Majority of children in England and Wales encounter real-life violence online

In 2024 the Youth Endowment Fund [YEF] partnered with Savanta to conduct its annual ‘Children, violence and vulnerability’ research, which explores how teenage children (aged 13–17) in England and Wales experience violence.

The YEF and Savanta surveyed over 10,000 teenage children, and the findings are detailed across five reports, each with a different focus.

The second report explores teenage children’s experiences of violence on social media. We aimed to understand its prevalence, the nature of the content children encounter, and the impact on their lives. Here’s what we found:

Report 2 – ‘What role does social media play in violence affecting young people?’ – Headline findings

• Violence is widespread on social media. Our findings reveal that 70% of teenage children have encountered some form of real-world violence online in the past 12 months.
• Seeing violence online has real-world impacts. The vast majority (80%) of teenage children who encounter weapons-related content on social media say it makes them feel less safe in their local communities.
• Children support limiting access to phones and social media. 24% of 13–17-year-olds believe access to phones should be limited to those over age 13, while 45% think access to social media should only be allowed at age 13.

You can download the full report, designed by Savanta’s in-house Creative Team, by clicking here.

To view Report 1 – ‘Who is affected by violence’ – click here.

Savanta’s Youth Practice has been researching young people since 2004. We’re the Millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha experts. Find out how the Savanta Youth Practice can inform and inspire your organisation.