Knife crime in London, UK: a youth perspective

Abstract

Background

From 2016 to 2017, the UK saw a 22% increase in crime with knives and sharp weapons. Admission to hospitals with stabbing injuries is now at its highest rate for 7 years with a shift towards younger victims, the youngest victim being just 13 years old. We aimed to explore young people's knowledge and consequences of knife crime to inform public health interventions.

Methods

As a team of doctors running health workshops with refugee children in London we have access to this marginalised cohort of teenagers. Our study draws from a workshop that focused on knife crime. Participants were recruited voluntarily to join a first-aid session and discussion exploring perceptions of knife crime in an informal setting. 16 boys aged 12–17 years took part. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore ideas and knowledge. Field notes were taken throughout and thematic content analysed to extract the most commonly vocalised ideas.

Findings

We identified three key themes: distrust of public services, a lack of knowledge of the justice system, and differing perspectives on the underlying causes of crime. Anxieties around the role of the police were heightened because of the children's experience within the asylum system. Like previous work, we found common misconceptions around the consequences of knife violence.

Interpretation

Our study highlights gaps in knowledge, areas of vulnerability, and the need for targeted public health interventions to support these teenagers.

Funding

None.