Hucknall: Nottinghamshire Police support new social media campaign focused on young people impacted by crime

Nottinghamshire Police is supporting a new social media campaign drawing on the real-life experiences of teenagers impacted by gang crime and violence.

The #Stopviolence project is funded by Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire's Violence Reduction Unit to speak to young people in their own language and medium to shatter myths about knife crime and exploitation.

Four new films – co-produced by young people – were premiered at the Broadway Cinema, attended by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry, local leaders and stakeholders and young people involved in the production.

The films, which are now being released across social media platforms, explore themes of cuckooing and exploitation, trauma, online exploitation, and girls in gangs. They contain frank and often harrowing accounts of young lives lived in the grip of fear.

It is the second series of such films, commissioned following the huge success of the initial film and social media campaign last year.

Guests at the premiere were also given a sneak preview of a new and hard-hitting documentary commissioned by the Violence Reduction Unit examining serious violence and exploitation through the eyes of young people and highlighting the underlying issues increasing risk in the city and county.

Commissioner Henry, who was a guest speaker at the premiere, said: "As you will see from the videos – there is a raw authenticity to the content, which while it may be harrowing in places, it has already shown it can reach a vast number of children and young people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire who may be experiencing similar issues.

"I feel that we have a duty to listen to the voices of young people and ensure that they are meaningfully involved in co-producing the interventions which will support them."

Natalie Baker-Swift, interim head of the Violence Reduction Unit, said: "We knew we wanted a campaign that would have youth voice at its heart, that was absolutely authentic and would unapologetically address the key themes connected to serious violence and exploitation.

"While the young people who took part in the first social media campaign and the latest films are talented actors – the content is very real. The stories and experiences are real and it is expressed in their language, using their voice."

Young people were involved in every stage of the campaign's delivery from determining key messages and storylines to taking part in acting, production and promotion. The content for the films was generated during youth focus groups and discussions with young people aged 18-29 who have been involved with or were on the periphery of gang activity or have had a knife-related or violent crime experience in the past.

The campaign, which runs over eight weeks, signposts young people and their parents to support services and helplines to address violent behaviour and guides people on how to report crime.

It is backed by a dedicated website , the 30-minute documentary film and a poster awareness campaign across the city and county's bus stops and public spaces.