Good Idea: Young people confront anger on knife crime programme

Provider Let’s Get Talking Charity

Name Knife crime education programme

Of the 13 young people murdered in London so far in 2015, 11 have been victims of stabbings. This year’s total is already three more than in 2014, and mirrors national trends, with police data showing reported knife crime is up 18 per cent after falling over the previous four years.
 
In an effort to tackle the problem, the Let’s Get Talking Charity has set up a knife crime education programme for young Londoners aged 10 to 18.

Groups of young people from schools, pupil referral units and youth clubs work with an educator from the charity to discuss knife crime and culture, anger, and bereavement.

Sue Scott-Horne, founder of the charity, says the programme starts by taking the young people to the Ben Kinsella Trust’s knife crime awareness exhibition. The trust was set up in 2008 after 16-year-old student Ben was stabbed to death in London.

“The young people go on the tour and then we do a knife crime talk,” she says.

“It is very emotive and very powerful. There is Ben’s work, photos, videos of his family, and then you can go into a video room where you see Ben walking away with 11 stab wounds.”
 
Scott-Horne explains that seeing the exhibition and then going straight into a workshop about knife crime and culture gets the young people to openly discuss their emotions.

During the workshop the young people use the charity’s “discussion card set” to talk about what they have seen in the exhibition, and they also fill out questions such as “would you carry knives now?”

“It hits you between the eyes and that is the only way to do this,” she adds. “We’ve got to hit it [knife crime] hard because these young people have no respect for life.”

After taking part in the knife crime workshop the young people move on to an anger workshop, which runs alongside a bereavement workshop.

“We work on anger because a lot of people who are carrying [knives] and stabbing are angry and they have never had that anger worked on,” Scott-Horne says.

She explains how some young people don’t realise anger can play a role in the issue, and how the workshop looks to put that into perspective by focusing on decisions, attitudes and mindsets.

“Sometimes young people can make decisions very quickly, often without thought, and that could put them in prison for the rest of their lives,” she adds.

The bereavement workshops then aim to get the young people to open up and be honest about death by looking into cases of stabbings, where they took place, and friends that have died. They also talk about family tragedies and how they feel.

“Communication is key because a lot of young people don’t talk much,” she says.

The exhibition tour, and knife crime and culture workshop take place at the Ben Kinsella Trust, which works in partnership with the charity, while the anger and bereavement workshops follow a few weeks later at the organisation the young people are from.

Once the programme has finished, organisations are given resources that can be used with the young people in their local setting.

Considering consequences

Scott-Horne believes the programme is effective because it encourages participants to think carefully about their decisions and the consequences of carrying knives.

She adds the programme is available to voluntary youth organisations, schools, and housing associations across London, although the charity has started to see interest from other areas including organisations in Surrey.

However, Let’s Get Talking only gets funding for voluntary youth organisations in the capital, meaning schools and organisations outside of London have to pay for the programme or make a donation.

Furthermore the charity does not work with large groups because it wants to make sure all young people get the attention they need, and at least two members of staff from the organisation taking part need to complete the programme with their young people.  

She says the charity is now looking to expand the programme but it cannot keep up with demand, meaning groups have to be turned away.

It is also looking to launch a drug awareness programme, which will be a free, separate programme that also focuses on alcohol, and is funded through the National Lottery.

To find out more about the programmes on offer visit www.letsgettalking.org.