Policy

Young & Streewise (10/11)

Children as young as 10 witness serious violence on the streets but few raise the experience with their teachers as they don’t believe schools are ready or able to help. These findings come from a ground-breaking study of primary school children in Hackney and Islington conducted by Witness Confident. The charity welcomes the finding that these young children are predisposed to do the right thing. Almost all the 10 and 11 year old children interviewed say if they see a child being mugged they will help the victim, call the police or chase the villain.

Public policy, the perils of indifference and street violence (12/09)

A systematic commitment to encourage and value witnesses will help curb street violence and reduce victim distress.

This report draws heavily on original research on the views and experiences of university students - the coming generation - on street violence, the walk-on-by culture and the criminal justice system.

Get Up, Stand Up (01/11)

Last year one in three people in Hackney & Islington had first or second hand experience of street violence either a victim or witness. Two in three said they were not confident anyone would help is they were being mugged in a busy street. Against this background, it's no great surprise that local people express strong support for a more engaged response from the public when they witness street violence. Drawing on official statistics, the report also estimates that there were 14,400 cases of street violence in the two boroughs last year.

Confident witnesses & the media (10/09)

When we were setting up the charity, many people said that in changing public attitudes to the walk-on-by society, one of the toughest obstacles would be the propensity of the British media to run alarmist stories about witnesses and to ignore good news. So what lies behind this positive coverage about a witness?

Evidence Lost (05/10)

Public support for the fight against crime and public confidence in the justice system should not be counted on so long as insufficient attention is paid to the experience and evidence of people who witness street violence. 'Evidence Lost' reviews all key research on witness satisfaction and explains why street violence matters. We recommend that one tenth of the criminal legal aid should go on providing legal support for victims and witnesses. The report also includes one hundred case studies drawn from the lively Have Your Say that the BBC ran at the time the charity launched.

Launch Material (09/09)

On 9 September 2009, Witness Confident launched. You can hear the interview on on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme and see an interview on BBC Breakfast. The press release along with links to the three policy issues we focused on at the launch follow.

Taking the stand for the eye-witness

Young & Streewise (10/11)

Public policy, the perils of indifference and street violence (12/09)

Get Up, Stand Up (01/11)

Confident witnesses & the media (10/09)

Evidence Lost (05/10)

Launch Material (09/09)