According to a recent report on youth violence, 40 young people are murdered everyday in Europe, with interpersonal violence being the third leading cause of death among people aged 10-29, accounting for 15,000 homicides annually. Furthermore, estimates suggest that for every young person who dies, 20 more are admitted to hospital. If all European countries experienced the same homicide rates as the lowest in the Region, Europe could potentially save over 13,000 young lives per year. However, young people are just as likely to be vulnerable to being victims of violence and crime as they are to being perpetrators.Youth violence cannot solely be blamed on individuals as it is a product of biological, social, cultural and economic factors. Wealth and gender influence levels of violence; young people from poorer backgrounds are more at risk than those who are better off, with 9 out of 10 homicide deaths in Europe occurring in low and middle income countries.A recent WHO Report suggests that many of the root causes of violence arise in childhood and reducing risk factors such as poor family environment, unstable relationships and alcohol and drug misuse and enhancing protective factors will reduce violence. Being a victim of neglect or abuse in early years may result in aggressive behaviour, and bullying in schools and in the community increases young people’s risk of involvement in violence. Addressing the root causes and risk factors is a societal responsibility, which falls on many sectors, such as health, education, criminal justice and local government, and is more cost-effective than solely dealing with violence and its consequences.Numerous measures have been introduced to prevent youth violence by targeting children and young adults in schools and in their communities. Programmes targeting child development, whether to promote positive parenting or to enhance children’s life and social skills, are proven to be successful in preventing youth violence. It has been suggested that the health sector is best placed to lead evidence-based preventative approaches to address the root causes of violence, in partnership with other sectors.It must be acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of young people are law-abiding and throughout Europe, the ‘bad kids’ are often also the ‘sad kids’, people most in need of preventative diversionary programmes and support.