New films lift the lid on young people's experience of violence in Nottinghamshire during lockdown

The videos, released across social media platforms, mark the second phase of the #Stopviolence campaign – a project funded by Nottinghamshire's Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) and the county's police and crime commissioner Paddy Tipping to educate young people and their parents and carers on the devastating consequences of serious violence.

The first, Lockdown Monologues, features a collection of frank and open dialogues with young people, filmed by actors during lockdown, sharing their real- life experiences of domestic violence, family violence and criminal exploitation.

The second, Choose Life After Lockdown, takes the form of a music video parody and shares a real-life story to encourage young people to use lockdown as an opportunity to think about the influences and choices they make and to seek support or guidance at the campaign's HashtagNG website.

Since launching in September 2020, the #Stopviolence campaign has reached more than 142,000 people through a series of gripping videos on violence and gang culture across Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.

Dave Wakelin, director of the VRU, said: "The #Stopviolence campaign has really struck a chord with young people and their families and we are delighted to have already reached more than 140,000 people.

"The aim of the campaign is to empower young viewers to make their own decisions about violence based on real life testimonies and experiences and talking to young people in the language they understand – through the eyes of their peers.”

Paddy Tipping added: "This campaign lifts the lid on violent culture and helps to explain some of the pressures influencing young people's decision to carry weapons including county lines and fear.

"I would like to praise the ingenuity of the production team for ensuring these important messages go out despite the challenges of Covid-19.

"The lockdown has been hard on young people for all sorts of reasons, and those who are vulnerable to violence or exploitation have faced increased risk of harm. It's vital these young people and their parents understand help is available if they need it."