Safe

About Safe

Violence affects us all at some point, but for some children, it’s a daily reality. Every year, hundreds of young people in England and Wales are injured or killed by a sharp object. 5% of teenagers carry a weapon, 20% have been victims of violence, and most worry about it. Yet, while violence happens daily, so does prevention—we just don’t hear about it. Why does it happen? How can we stop it? Hosted by youth worker and author Ciaran Thapar (Youth Endowment Fund), Safe is a conversation about violence affecting children and young people with those who are working to stop it.

Publisher

Youth Endowment Fund

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Mar 2025

Latest episode

15 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Apr 2026

   Finding Your Voice on National Prison Radio, with Lady Unchained

   In overcrowded, violent prisons, showing emotion can be seen as weakness. Creativity can become a lifeline. Lady Unchained explores how creative writing can give prisoners a way to express what they cannot say out loud. Drawing on her own time in custody, she explains how discovering poetry gave her hope for a better future. She shares the journey of her award-winning hit show, Free Flow, on National Prison Radio, and how it is helping prisoners across the UK prison population to find their voice, reflect on their actions and redefine their futures. Links and Resources Unchained (https://www.unchained.org.uk/) Behind Bars: On punishment, prison & release (https://www.waterstones.com/book/behind-bars/brenda-birungi/9781914240317) by Lady Unchained National Prison Radio (https://prison.radio/national-prison-radio/) National Literacy Trust | New Chapters (https://literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/books-unlocked/new-chapters/) The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. To find out more, visit our website (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠ ) Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund Tell us what you think of Safe by completing this short survey Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

2. 

   1 Apr 2026

   Treating Violence With a Public Health Approach, with Grace Strong

   How can we prevent violence before it happens? Grace Strong, who helped set up and leads the Violence Reduction Network for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, has spent her career working with communities affected by crime. She discusses how addressing the issues behind offending — trauma, abuse, rejection, isolation — lies at the heart of the ‘public health’ approach to preventing violence. She explains how this principle underpins Focused Deterrence, an approach that successfully reduced violent crime in US cities and is now being tested across the UK. Links & Resources Violence Reduction Network (https://www.violencereductionnetwork.co.uk/) YEF Toolkit | Focused Deterrence (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/toolkit/focused-deterrence/) Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | The scale of violence affecting children (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/scale-of-violence/) The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. To find out more, visit our website ( ⁠https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠ ) Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund Tell us what you think about Safe in this short survey (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl). Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

3. 

   18 Mar 2026

   How Cultural Sensitivity Can Address Trauma, with Ben Lindsay

   When a young person is dealing with grief or trauma, support should be there. But what if the people meant to help don’t understand their world? Ben Lindsay, founder of Power the Fight, reflects on growing up in South East London and his work with children facing the day-to-day realities of violence. He explains why support can fall short and why therapy and public services need to be culturally sensitive if they’re going to make a difference. LINKS & RESOURCES Website: Power the Fight (https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/) Research: Therapeutic Intervention for Peace (TIP) Report (https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/tip-report.pdf) Research: Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | Mental health and experiences of violence (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/mental-health/) The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. Find out more (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠ ) Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund Tell us what you think by completing this short survey (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl) Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

4. 

   4 Mar 2026

   Youth Clubs: Loss, Legacy and the Future, with Emma Warren

   Since 2010, the number of council-run youth centres in Britain has more than halved, but at what cost? Drawing on her research into the history of youth clubs, author Emma Warren explores their cultural significance and their role in helping young people discover their identity, build connections and stay safe. With the government’s new National Youth Strategy, is this a fresh start or a false dawn? Links & Resources Book: Up the Youth Club: Illuminating a Hidden History (https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571389216-up-the-youth-club/?srsltid=AfmBOookiyrmDbrPO0dQ_xHBxJA8ZWP0UM5lpmXSN9hruA7XlAtQceH3) by Emma Warren Book: Dance Your Way Home: A Journey Through the Dancefloor (https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571366040-dance-your-way-home/) by Emma Warren Research: Children, violence and vulnerability 2024 | Who has access to positive activities, youth clubs and trusted adults? (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2024/positive-activities-trusted-adults/?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast) Research: Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | Exploitation and Gangs (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/exploitation-gangs/) Research: Beyond the Headlines 2025 (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/beyond-the-headlines-2025/) Policy paper: Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-matters-your-national-youth-strategy/youth-matters-your-national-youth-strategy) Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund (https://www.instagram.com/youthendowfund/) Tell us what you think in this short survey (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl) Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

5. 

   18 Feb 2026

   Keeping Children in School - and Safe, with Kiran Gill

   School absences, suspensions, and exclusions have reached record highs in recent years. Behind the numbers is a complex story of trauma, vulnerability and unmet needs. What’s causing this trend — and how can we tackle it? Kiran Gill, former teacher and founder of The Difference, explores how schools can prevent lost learning while helping children stay safe. Links & resources Website: The Difference (https://the-difference.com/) Resource for education leaders: Education, Children and Violence (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/education-guidance/) Resource for policymakers: Education Policy, Children and Violence (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/education-policy-children-and-violence/) Research: Association between school exclusion, suspension, absence and violent crime (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/secondary-data-analysis/an-examination-of-the-association-between-school-absence-exclusion-and-violent-crime/) Research: Beyond the Headlines 2025 (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/beyond-the-headlines-2025/) Research: Making The Difference: Breaking the link between school exclusion and social exclusion (https://www.ippr.org/articles/making-the-difference) Research: Who is losing learning? (https://the-difference.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/FINAL-Who-is-Losing-Learning-Solutions-Report.pdf) Research: Lost learning: Prevalence, inequalities and outcomes of internal exclusion in mainstream secondary schools (https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.70049) Stats: Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England (https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2024-25-autumn-term) The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. To find out more, visit ⁠⁠YEF's website⁠ (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast%26%238288%3B%A0)⁠. Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund ⁠⁠Tell us what you think in this short survey⁠ (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl)⁠ Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

6. 

   11 Feb 2026

   Using Social Media to Avoid Violent Encounters, with Forrest Stuart

   ‘Social media drives violence.’ It’s a common claim, but is it true? Forrest Stuart, Professor of Sociology at Stanford University, paints a more nuanced picture. Drawing on his time with teenage gang members on the South Side of Chicago, he explores the tension between young people using social media to provoke, stay safe and seek validation, their posts being used against them in court, and the increased risks of victimisation for those living in urban poverty. Links & Resources Website: ⁠⁠Stanford Ethnography Lab⁠ (https://ethnographylab.stanford.edu/)⁠ Book: ⁠⁠Ballad of the Bullet: Gangs, Drill Music, and the Power of Online Infamy⁠ (https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691194431/ballad-of-the-bullet?srsltid=AfmBOorti2RCHcWmXqrJLLZwKCahTtKQ4ojVCDxVYUccvzUdNmNnZ_Sw)⁠ by Forrest Stuart Book: ⁠⁠Down, Out, and Under Arrest: Policing and Everyday Life in Skid Row⁠ (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo23530208.html)⁠ by Forrest Stuart Research: ⁠⁠Children, violence and vulnerability 2025 | The scale of violence affecting children⁠ (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/scale-of-violence/)⁠ Research: ⁠⁠School climate and the impact of neighborhood crime on test scores⁠ (https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7758/rsf.2019.5.2.08?seq=1)⁠ The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. To find out more, visit ⁠⁠YEF's website⁠ (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast%26%238288%3B%A0)⁠. Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund ⁠⁠Tell us what you think in this short survey⁠ (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl)⁠ Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

7. 

   4 Feb 2026

   How Football is Saving Boys, with Jack Reynolds

   In an age of social media and ‘toxic influencers’, are too many boys growing up without positive role models? Jack Reynolds shares the journey of Football Beyond Borders, showing how football can support children at risk of school exclusion and violence. He explains how, through setting up the Lost Boys Taskforce, the sense of belonging and relationships forged on the football pitch have inspired a new goal: giving every young person access to a trusted adult outside their family home. Links & Resources Football Beyond Borders (https://www.footballbeyondborders.org/) The Lost Boys Taskforce (https://lostboystaskforce.com/) Children, violence and vulnerability 2024 | Who has access to positive activities, youth clubs and trusted adults? (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2024/positive-activities-trusted-adults/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast) Youth work and violence prevention (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/youth-work-and-violence-prevention/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast) The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. Find out more on the Youth Endowment Fund (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast ) Tell us what you think Take this short survey (https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=OI31M7_V4EWTbppLG-bDxrPmZFmS2b9LpBNjBYkL7mlUM1E1SldBS0dTR0FETklMMTlZTUxBUEw4OS4u&route=shorturl) Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

8. 

   4 Feb 2026

   Growing up Exploited in a Gang - Safe to Talk

   At the age of 12, he was using drugs. By 13, he was selling them. By 14, he was trapped in a world dominated by fear and violence. Speaking anonymously, a young man shares his powerful story of being pulled into county lines and how he found a way out. He reflects on the harsh risks, realities and misconceptions about criminal exploitation, and what needs to change to protect children from it. LINKS & RESOURCES Children Violence and Vulnerability 2025 - Exploitation and gangs (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/reports/children-violence-and-vulnerability-2025/exploitation-gangs/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast) Leaders Unlocked (https://leaders-unlocked.org/) Just For Kids Law (https://www.justforkidslaw.org/) The Youth Endowment Fund believes that no child should be affected by violence. We research violence to understand it; we find, fund and test what works to prevent it; and we are building a movement to end it. To find out more, visit: The Youth Endowment Fund (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=safe&utm_term=podcast⁠  ) Follow us on Instagram: @youthendowfund Host: Ciaran Thapar, Youth Endowment Fund Series Producer: Meera Kumar

9. 

   2 Feb 2026

   Safe | Official Trailer | A new podcast from the Youth Endowment Fund

   What does safety really mean to a child growing up around violence? Safe is a new podcast from the Youth Endowment Fund, hosted by Director of External Affairs and Youth Understanding - Ciaran Thapar, bringing lived experience, culture and evidence together to confront one of the defining issues of modern Britain. Each episode opens with one simple question: “When you were a child, how did you keep safe?” 🎙️ Launching 4 February 📅 New episodes every week Follow SAFE so you don’t miss the first episode.

10. 

    9 Apr 2025

    Justin Finlayson: The Music Mentoring Bus Tackling Territorial Violence | Safe E2

    Justin Finlayson shares how to keep young people safe in the recording studio, why drill music makes him uncomfortable and what his journey from prison officer to bus driver to charity CEO has taught him about preventing violence. To find out more about United Borders, visit: http://unitedborders.org/ (http://unitedborders.org/) Safe is hosted by Ciaran Thapar, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Youth Endowment Fund and author of Cut Short: Why We’re Failing Our Youth — and How to Fix It. The Youth Endowment Fund is a charity which funds, researches and promotes ways of preventing violence amongst children and young people. To find out more, visit: https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/ (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/) Series Producer: Meera Kumar

11. 

    19 Mar 2025

    Carlene Firmin: Contextual Safeguarding is Common Sense | Safe Ep1

    Professor Carlene Firmin shares how shop workers can be community guardians, why we are all responsible for keeping young people safe, and what her journey from aspiring journalist to charity worker to renowned social work academic has taught her about preventing violence. To find out more about Contextual Safeguarding and Carlene’s work visit: www.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk (https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.contextualsafeguarding.org.uk%2F&data=05%7C02%7CCiaran.Thapar%40youthendowmentfund.org.uk%7C6275c09388cf4cc0796a08dd5fda4fd4%7C33f58d38d5bf45e0936e9a4b1be6c3c6%7C0%7C0%7C638772113546971417%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=udHm8CekhsPzMz0ijGkS%2F6oiaoVHCaS6V3GhOaSflKI%3D&reserved=0) Safe is hosted by Ciaran Thapar, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the Youth Endowment Fund and author of Cut Short: Why We’re Failing Our Youth — and How to Fix It. The Youth Endowment Fund is a charity which funds, researches and promotes ways of preventing violence amongst children and young people. To find out more visit: https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/ (https://youthendowmentfund.org.uk/) Series Producer: Meera Kumar

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

46,892,420

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

27

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

0

Contact Safe

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.