This case study explores the partnership between Smithycroft Secondary School and St Paul’s Youth Forum (SPYF) to deliver the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) programme. Supporting Scotland’s Equally Safe strategy, the collaboration combines classroom learning with community youth work to address issues such as consent, pornography, and harmful gender norms. SPYF staff co-facilitated MVP sessions in school and in the youth group, creating informal, trusted spaces for open discussion and empowering students as active bystanders and leaders. This case study highlights the positive impact of this integrated approach in reinforcing prevention messages across school and community.

• Strengthen approaches to the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) by embedding MVP across both school and community settings.
• Create a whole-community prevention model, moving beyond individual lessons.
• Empower young people as leaders and active bystanders, building skills, knowledge, and confidence to challenge harmful norms.
• Develop a sustainable MVP model that aligns with Scotland’s national priorities.

• SPYF staff were trained in MVP as adult facilitators.
• MVP trained staff at Smithycroft Secondary School co-delivered mentor training with SPYF youth workers. 
• Mentor training took place over 2 days off site at SPYF, creating a safe space where young people could engage more openly.
• Trained MVP staff from SPYF delivered specific scenarios in school with S5 and S6 pupils including Expectations and Party which explore the harms around pornography and alcohol and consent.
• Trained SPYF staff also facilitated the Knife scenario within the youth club.

• Teachers observed that sessions delivered by SPYF youth workers changed the classroom dynamic with pupils engaging more openly. Their presence made discussions flow more easily and encouraged pupils to participate more freely.
• SPYF youth workers were well received by pupils within the school environment. This finding has helped to build confidence among school staff and laid the foundations for a model of delivery that bridges formal education with community-based practice.
• The partnership allowed SPYF to support school staff to embed MVP within the curriculum.

• SPYF staff to deliver MVP sessions to more year groups at Smithycroft.
• SPYF will continue to support recruitment and training of senior MVP mentors.
• SPYF will continue to deliver Party and Expectations both in school and community settings.