Our work with
Local Authorities
VAWG prevention and promoting positive masculinity within boroughs and communities
We work with local authorities, including councils and sports organisations, to prevent violence against women and girls and other serious violence at its roots.
Our approach is grounded in our theory of change, and starts with boys’ own experiences of the unwritten “rules” they feel they have to follow, then helps them examine how those rules affect them and the people around them, and explore healthier, realistic alternatives. We deliver this approach through workshops for KS2, and workshops, assemblies and programmes for KS2-KS5.
We pair this with staff training and parent sessions so that schools and communities reinforce the same expectations all year round.
CASE STUDY:
ADDRESSING VAWG IN HARROW
Funded by the London Violence Reduction Unit | 2024-26
Over 18 months, we worked with schools, a college and youth settings across Harrow to help young people question harmful ideas about masculinity, and trained staff to challenge them early. We worked with:
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2,370+ YOUNG PEOPLE - 76 STAFF - 15 PARENTS & CARERS​
and ran:​ 94 WORKSHOPS - 7 ASSEMBLIES​
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Disinterest in conversations about masculinity halved among Year 9 students at one school (60.3% to 30.3%)
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Year 9 and 10 students feeling encouraged to stand up to harmful behaviour rose from 26.8% to 51.9%
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Practitioner confidence in challenging misogyny rose from 3.80 to 4.36 out of 5
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CASE STUDY:
PREVENTING HARM BY SHIFTING PEER CULTURE
IN CROYDON
Funded by Croydon Council | 2025-26
We worked with schools across Croydon to help young people recognise the social pressures behind misogyny and harmful relationship behaviours, and to help staff feel confident intervening early. We worked with:
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618 YOUNG PEOPLE - 40 STAFF - 32 PARENTS & CARERS​
and ran:​ 36 WORKSHOPS​
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100% of staff respondents said students benefitted from the work
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100% of staff training respondents would recommend the training
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OUR THEORY OF CHANGE
Voicebox’s prevention model is based on a clear sequence:
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When boys feel respected and understood, they are more willing to participate honestly.
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When boys can name the pressures and peer rules shaping their behaviour, those rules become open to question rather than operating invisibly.
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When boys critically examine how these norms affect themselves and others, they can recognise the links between everyday behaviour, gender inequality and harm.
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When boys explore realistic alternatives, they develop greater confidence, empathy, relational skill and capacity to resist harmful peer expectations.
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When staff and the wider school environment reinforce the same expectations, healthier behaviours become supported by the culture rather than dependent on individual choices alone.
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The intended result is not simply that boys learn the “correct answer” during a workshop. It is that they become more able to notice harmful norms, think independently, make responsible choices and positively influence their peers. This is primary prevention: addressing some of the attitudes, social expectations and group dynamics that can contribute to misogyny, harassment and gender-based violence before more serious harm occurs.
Our research also makes clear that workshops are strongest when they form part of a wider approach involving trained adults, consistent school practices and repeated opportunities for learning and reflection.