Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland (VPF) End of programme report

3. Introduction

This end of programme report summarises the progress made since 2023 in implementing its actions. The VPF has supported our commitment in our Programme for Government to ensure everyone feels safe in their communities.^[2] It has also been closely aligned with the three-year delivery plan for the Vision for Justice in Scotland, which, between 2023 and 2026, has been driving transformation of the justice sector in Scotland. Through collaborative efforts and a series of targeted reforms, the Vision for Justice has been working toward our aim to create a just, safe and resilient society.^[3]

On its publication in 2023, we committed to publishing a Progress Report each year of the Framework’s three-year implementation to record ongoing progress along each of its 14 priority actions. The first report, covering progress made over 2023-24, was published in September 2024^[4]; while the second report, covering progress made over 2024-25 was published in December 2025.^[5]

The VPF’s overall vision has been to prevent violence from happening in the first instance - and, when it does occur, to reduce its harm.

The Framework is built around four core aims:

• we are all safe, and feel safe, in our communities
• our communities are stronger and more resilient
• our relationships are healthier and more respectful
• people at risk of experiencing violence receive support to live healthier, more productive lives

This third and final Framework report highlights the priority actions which have supported these aims and which, with our grant-funded partners, we have been taking forward over the past three years. These partners include: the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU), Medics Against Violence (MAV), YouthLink Scotland’s No Knives, Better Lives (NKBL) programme, Police Scotland Youth Volunteers (PSYV), and Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP).

This report sits alongside a comprehensive Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland: Monitoring Framework which was published in December 2025.^[6] This made good on a commitment within the VPF to develop a Measurement Framework – now renamed the “Monitoring Framework” – to identify a set of high-level indicators to monitor progress towards the VPF’s long-term vision. The Monitoring Framework sets out 14 indicator themes; the measures attached to each of them and summarises progress. Critically, the baseline year for the Monitoring Framework is 2008-09, from when data on both crimes recorded by the police and on victim experience of crime in Scotland is available as part of a comparable time series. It therefore contributes to increasing our understanding of the extent and nature of violence in Scotland and how it has changed over time. This, in turn, informs our ongoing assessment of where our priorities in relation to violence should lie and whether a change in approach, or new activity might be beneficial.

There has been a longer-term decline in levels of violence in Scotland across key measures:

• Most adults in Scotland – that is, those who are aged 16 or over (97.5% in 2024-25)^[7] - do not experience violent crime^[8] and there has been a long-term fall in violent crime victimisation since 2008-09.
• Comparable official measures^[9] of non-sexual interpersonal violence in Scotland have shown decreases over the longer term. While there has been a gradual increase in crimes of non-sexual violence recorded by the police since 2014-15, the number of these crimes in 2024-25 is 18% lower than in 2008-09. Conversely sexual crimes recorded by the police have increased over the longer term and in 2024-25 are at the second highest level since comparable records began.
• All measures of serious physical harm from violence – serious assault and attempted murder recorded by the police, the number of homicide victims, and emergency hospital admissions for assault/assault with a sharp object – are on a long-term downward trend, with the number of homicide victims (45 in 2024-25) the lowest since comparable records began in 1976.
• Official measures of violent crime victimisation in Scotland do not include the experiences of those under 16 years of age. However, measures of serious physical harm from violence – the number of homicide victims, and emergency hospital admissions for assault/assault with a sharp object – show reductions for younger people over the longer term. In 2024-25 fewer young people (23) under the age of 18 were admitted to hospital due to assault with a sharp object than in any year since 2008-09 (when it was 133).
• Most adults (76% in 2024-25) feel safe walking alone in their area after dark and concern about being physically assaulted or attacked in the street has reduced over the long term, from 31% in 2008-09 to 18% in 2024-25. Despite this, in more recent years, concern about being assaulted or attacked in the street increased from 15% in 2023-24. Females generally feel less safe walking alone in their local area after dark and worry more about being physically assaulted or attacked in the street than males. This difference has been consistent since 2008-09.

While these findings are encouraging, they do confirm that there is still progress to be made in preventing violence and its harms in Scotland. The activities set out below demonstrate the focused approach the Scottish Government, through its partners, has been taking during this year, and over the two previous years of the Framework, to address violence and its harms against each of the priority actions.