Violent crime & street robbery
Fear and Fashion: The use of knives and other weapons by young people Fear and Fashion: The use of knives and other weapons by young people
This report tries to determine what are the key factors involved in young people deciding to carry knives and weapons, what is the scale of the problem and what are the most effective types of intervention.
Title: Fear and Fashion: The use of knives and other weapons by young people
Author: Lemos&Crane
Date published: 2004
Number of pages: 42
Reports from practitioners and the press suggest that carrying and using knives by young people, sometimes as young as 10 and 11, is increasing.
This report therefore sets out the available research and the views of practitioners about the extent and causes of young people carrying knives and other weapons. It deals with some of the approaches being currently adopted to tackle the problem and makes recommendations.
Extent of the problem
10% of boy's aged 11 and 12 are reported to have carried a knife or other weapon in the previous year and 8% said they had attacked someone intending serious harm.
By the age of 16, the figure had risen to 24% who have carried a knife and 16% who had attacked somebody intending harm.
A MORI youth survey in 2003 found that:
Pupils attending schools said that offences typically happen at school.
Excluded young people appear more likely to experience crime in the local area where they live and are more likely to carry weapons.
46% of excluded young people had admitted having carried a weapon compared to just 16% of those in school.
The peak age for both boys and girls committing offences is 14 to 15.
Carrying a weapon is more common among those in year 10 and 11 at school.
Boys are 3 times more likely to carry and use knives.
Causes of the problem
Researches at Glasgow University believe 'Knives hold a particular fascination for children', and the aspiration of holding, possessing, and brandishing what only the adult, brave and qualified soldier is entitled to carry legally is part of many young boys' childhood, whatever their social background.
The possession of a knife or other weapon can also be a means of acquiring status e.g. children who experience failure at school or other kinds of social exclusion could be looking for status by carrying a knife.
Peer influences and fashion also seem to play a part in encouraging young people to carry knives.
Fear and victimisation is however, the main reason why young people carry and brandish a knife. Young people carry knives with the intention to scare, harass or steal.
There is also a wide lack of reporting of these incidents, as 51% of young victims do not report the crime to the police, and 45% do not even tell there parents.
Alcohol and the use of drugs is linked to the likelihood of aggression, and can directly lead to an increase in the number of offences perpetrated but there is no conclusive link between the use of alcohol or drugs and the carrying or using of knives and weapons.
There is also a lack of support for young perpetrators and victims from parents, schools and youth community services.
Approaches
Few projects or activities specifically focus on preventing or tackling the use of knives amongst children and young people, but those identified include projects designed to raise awareness amongst young people of the dangers of carrying knives, informal education projects, work with offenders and support for victims of crime.
Some projects integrate work with young people on carrying offensive weapons with more general youth offending programmes such as mentoring, conflict resolution, work with gangs and support for parents.
Practitioners identified the need for information sharing amongst partnerships as well as maintaining the balance of safety of users and staff when working with young people at risk.
The important role of the police in education and prevention work as well as law enforcement was also emphasised.
Recommendations
Since the problem is growing and since there are few dedicated public or educational awareness programmes or dedicated programmes to work with young people at risk of carrying and using knives, and there are relatively few examples of good practice, the key priorities for action are:
developing local demonstration programmes and activities
developing good practice materials for schools, youth clubs, youth offending teams and the police
promoting and disseminating good practice materials and examples.
Last update: 12 November 2004