Market Engagement Event - Barbershop Experience Intervention

Lambeth's SAFE Taskforce, a school-led programme to improve safety for young people, is developing an exciting new intervention, harnessing the cultural significance of Black-owned barbershops.

If you are a Lambeth-based barber or work with young people, please join us! We want to share ideas, timelines and next steps.

We want to deliver an intervention adopting a cognitive behavioural approach and be deployed via a mobile barbershop setting within schools. The intervention will be aimed at and delivered specifically to boys identifying as being of Black background. Black-owned barbershops are well-studied settings for the delivery of public health interventions that are culturally appropriate for Black communities, including Black men and boys. Research shows they are seen as trusted spaces for transparent dialogue, for learning and personal development outside traditional educational spaces, and for the celebration of Black culture.

By deploying a cognitive behavioural approach in these settings within schools, the initiative intends to engage boys identifying as Black, addressing the disproportionate impact of interpersonal violence on this demographic. Drawing from successful models in the US that employed barbershops as platforms for health education and interventions, this program aims to utilise these spaces for open dialogue, learning, and personal development. These barbershops have been identified as conducive environments for discussions on sensitive topics, functioning as hubs for celebrating Black culture and fostering mentorship.

The intervention's core framework involves a group-based psychosocial approach within a cognitive behavioural framework, designed to optimise accessibility, engagement, and psychological safety for the participating cohort. It's also envisioned to explore broader issues such as the intersection of masculinity, social attitudes, and mental health among engaged boys.

Additionally, the programme aims to address attitudinal and behavioural indicators of serious violence, including challenging and aggressive behaviours, while promoting prosocial attitudes and self-control. Simultaneously, it targets educational indicators of serious youth violence, such as reducing truancy, suspensions, and exclusions from school settings. The proposed mobile barbershop model within schools has been carefully chosen to ensure feasibility and safety, as per insights gained from consultations with children and school leaders. By situating the intervention within the school environment, the aim is to maximise engagement and effectiveness in fostering positive behavioural changes and improving educational outcomes for boys of Black background.