Childhood violence across distinct, overlapping, and concurrent contexts: polyvictimization, polyperpetration, and...

This study examines casefiles of children in England who were fatally stabbed between 2019 and 2024, focusing on their prior experiences of violence and adversity, aiming to identify missed opportunities for earlier intervention.

We conducted a quantitative analysis using descriptive statistics and qualitative casefile analysis of 58 casefiles from the National Childhood Mortality Database, encompassing child fatalities by stabbing in England between 2019 and 2024, which had files available. Casefiles were examined for indicators of prior victimisation and perpetration. Patterns of polyvictimisation and polyperpetration were identified to understand concurrent and cumulative experiences of violence.

Casefile analysis revealed that, prior to this point, a significant number (58%) of children had experienced childhood domestic violence and abuse and were seldom supported by specialist services. 59% had experienced a victim/perpetrator overlap.

Casefile narratives indicated a range of barriers to effective support related to identification, assessment, and classification of early experiences of violence. Findings show that children are seldom treated as primary victims of childhood domestic violence and specialist support is often missed. Current intervention pathways fail to recognise the holistic, long-term, overlapping and cumulative experiences of violence in children's lives.