Exploring Serious Violence in Nottinghamshire – A Qualitative Study

Serious violence is complex and has many associated factors shaping its nature and prevalence across different communities. These factors include adverse childhood experiences, educational attainment, school exclusion (internal and external), mental wellbeing, public health, drug and alcohol misuse, employment and household status, poverty and deprivation, environmental and social contexts among many others. However, it is critical to recognise that communities are changing in responses to new and emerging societal conditions, including economic fluctuations and austerity, changes to levels and the nature of employment, behaviour and attitudes towards drugs and alcohol usage, the use and importance of technology within everyday lives including social media, social norms, attitudes towards inequality and diversity including racial disparities, and anxiety for the future. This report presents the findings from a qualitative study of serious violence in Nottinghamshire, following a process evaluation of violence reduction interventions reported in March 2021. Based on the information from the NNVRU Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA), the aim of the study was to explore a series of issues identified in the SNA to further understandings of serious violence and inform future priorities of the Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Unit (NNVRU).