Moves Different is a partnership, believed to be the first of its kind, between England Boxing, Welsh Boxing and the Ending Youth Violence Lab.
It will work with qualified coaches at 10 boxing clubs to deliver a training programme targeting young people that display indicators for violent behaviour, including school exclusion or significant behavioural challenges at home.
The six-month pilot, funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, aims to provide regular boxing sessions for 1,500 young people aged 13 – 18 before being rolled out to a larger cohort.
Researchers at the Lab will assess the extent to which boxing helped improve young people’s emotional regulation, self-esteem and sense of community over the course of the trial.
Their findings will be compared to groups of young people given gym vouchers as part of a control measure included in the study.
The Lab will also compare the number of arrests among young people in both groups.
Risk factors that can lead to violent behaviour in young people include low confidence, poor emotional regulation, limited social support and exposure to negative influences.
It is hoped that by targeting young people who are most vulnerable to becoming involved in violence sufficient evidence will be collected to show boxing is an effective violence prevention approach.
Louise Vidor, Moves Different’s project manager, said: “Boxing offers structure, discipline and a strong sense of belonging, helping young people build confidence and manage their emotions.”
Clubs in London, Cardiff, Sheffield, Bradford and Birmingham are among those taking part in the pilot.
“We have a valuable opportunity to strengthen the evidence behind the impact of boxing and explore how it can play a meaningful role in preventing young violence in the future,” Vidor added.