Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP)
The MVP project is a primary prevention initiative which seeks to prevent violence from occurring in the first place. It is a peer-led leadership and bystander programme which involves training children and young people as mentors and equipping them with the confidence, knowledge and skills to identify and speak out against bullying, abusive behaviour and violence. It aims to tackle the beliefs, attitudes and culture which can give the message that violence is acceptable. Ultimately MVP promotes the healthy social norms and culture which is known to prevent violence.
Our local programme is based in education settings including primary and secondary schools. Teachers and other suitable staff are trained in the model through an on-line training programme and then are provided with a range of resources to use in their establishment. Older pupils/students are then trained as mentors so they can safely act as active bystanders across the school. With the support of staff, they can also deliver sessions to younger pupils focusing on issues which matter to them (e.g. bullying, healthy relationships, knife carrying). MVP Mentors gain valuable experience and receive a certificate and badge in recognition of their achievement. 
You can find out more about MVP from the MVP Guidance for Primary and Secondary Schools. Once a school has attended the training they will also gain access to the resources pages.
