Understanding Violent Behaviours Services

Understanding Violent Behaviours is a 7-year programme that places efficacy, distance travelled, research and pilot programmes central to our core delivery aiming to investigate, pilot new ways of working, evaluate and then share with partners solutions to the problem of children and young people who commit violent offences. Our vision is to have fewer CYP in the criminal justice system and families, communities and Wales a safer place to live and thrive. To understand why violent behaviours are currently rising in Wales we are looking at a blended approach of research, delivery pilot programmes and then evaluating.

Cerridwen (the Welsh Goddess of rebirth and transformation), is MAC’s violence framework which includes all our services where we work with CYP and families through evidencing our innovative work. The programme is underpinned by a Theory of Change model that articulates our intended outcomes. Cerridwen also includes our programme of training YJS workers, youth workers and social workers to develop strategies to work with young people who are perpetrating violent behaviours in the home and on the streets. We have currently trained many Youth Justice Services across Wales on delivery of the toolkit in their own work environments. You can read our first evaluation here: