Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why are so many British kids stabbing each other?

Why are so many British kids stabbing each other?

With children as young as 12 getting stabbed in brutal knife attacks, campaigners and local authorities have installed “bleed control kits” up and down the country.
Placed outside conflict hotspots, such as supermarkets and fast food outlets, the small red cabinets contain publically accessible medical equipment, which can stem the bleeding from catastrophic wounds until an ambulance arrives.

They are a grim indictment of an issue blighting the lives of more and more young people each year.

Knife crime in England and Wales was 9% higher in March 2022 compared to the previous year, and 34% higher than in 2010/11, with police recording around 45,000 offenses, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

That’s nearly 125 a day.

“The vast majority of young people don’t carry knives”, said Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, an anti-knife crime charity. “They know it is wrong.”

“But there are some who we as a society have failed to keep safe and help make better decisions.”

The trust was set up by the family of 16-year-old Ben Kinsella, who petitioned then Prime Minister Gordon Brown to help stop the epidemic of violence around him, but who was later tragically murdered in a knife attack while walking home from a night out with friends in 2008.

A “long list” of things drive knife crime, says Green. “Social exclusion, poverty, deprivation, inequality, racism — a whole number of factors make people vulnerable to being drawn into crime and, ultimately, violence.”

He likened the devastation to a “virus or epidemic”, emphasizing there was not one profile that put someone at risk.

“Once it becomes established, it grows quickly. The sense of fear that stabbings generate creates a situation where young people feel unsafe and sometimes make the wrong decision to carry knives to protect themselves.”

“This, of course, then makes them more vulnerable to being injured,” he added.

Around 4% of young people in England and Wales are estimated to carry a weapon one or more times each year.

The vast majority do so because they feel vulnerable, according to surveys by childrens’ charity Barnardos and others cited by the Home Office.

“There’s a huge lesson here in terms of messages,” Green told Euronews. “Adults and the wider community need to make sure that young people feel safe.”

“But it is a complex issue,” he continued. “The reasons why they carry knives are varied and I think this in itself is one reason why it’s very difficult to tackle.

Though the odd murder “caught the public’s eye” from time to time, Green claimed knife crime was not getting enough attention.

“We’re seeing lives lost every year, but the crisis doesn’t get anything like the publicity or indeed level of response it deserves.”

More than 280 people in England and Wales were killed with a knife or other sharp instrument in the year ending March 2022, leaping 19% compared to the previous period, as per data from ONS.

Fifty-one of those stabbed to death were teenagers. Yet, even when violence is not deadly, it can still have a devastating emotional and psychological impact on victims, scarring them for life.

London has the highest rates of stabbings, though the number of deaths fell last year. Despite making up only 13% of the total population, black Londoners account for 45% of the capital’s knife murder victims, according to the London Assembly.

“One stabbing on our streets is one too many and we are serious about tackling knife crime and youth violence,” said London’s Metropolitan Police in a statement sent to Euronews.

“We are helping young people turn away from a life of crime, focusing our efforts on the most vulnerable children and teenagers at risk of violence.”

“We are putting extra resources into areas that see the most violence to focus on those areas.”

In a decades-long effort, successive governments of both left and right have adopted punitive measures aimed at deterring what is often labeled as “gang violence”.

Possessing a knife carries a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. But, in recent years, the Conservatives have introduced a series of laws increasing police powers to stop and search young people, while introducing “tougher sentences” for offenders.

While recognizing they had an important part to play, Green said policies based on deterrence were not a “silver bullet”, despite being “often portrayed as the ultimate answer”.

“There’s also no discernible evidence that they [stop and search policies] make a significant difference to knife crime, he told Euronews, claiming some communities — such as Black or Asian minorities — were already “over-policed”.

A number of other factors can help tackle knife crime, such as prevention, early intervention and education, besides raising awareness among parents, carers and mentors about what they can do to combat the problem.

“Knife crime is everybody’s responsibility,” said Green. “Of course, police and politicians carry a significant burden but we can all do something about it.”

“We need to find out what concerns young people, intervene early and help them live positive lives and go on to achieve what they set out to achieve.”
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
EU Hits TikTok with €530 Million Fine Over China Data Transfers
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
Warren Buffett to Step Down as Berkshire CEO After Nearly 60 Years
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
U.S. and Ukraine Poised to Sign Strategic Critical Minerals Deal Amid Geopolitical Shifts
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
How do you fix this culture?
Corrupted from Within: How Deep State Power and Unelected Judges Hijacked Democracy Against the Will of the People
President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky just held an impromptu discussion on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.
World Leaders Gather in Rome for Pope Francis's Funeral
Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome as World Leaders Attend Funeral
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Peter Navarro: The Man Behind Trump’s Tariff Madness
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
Greek Christians Celebrate Easter in Thessaloníki
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
China, China, China!
Pope Francis Makes Brief Appearance at Easter Sunday Mass
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Alphabet Faces Antitrust Setbacks as Federal Judges Rule Against Google
US Billionaires Call for Higher Taxes, but Proposed 'Millionaires Tax' May Not Achieve Desired Outcome
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Designed in US, made in China: Why Apple is stuck in tariff tussle
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
South East Asia Caught in US-China Trade Dispute
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
×