A new approach to tackling knife crime
John Bateman OBE
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
"It's what you do. It's what your friends do, isn't it?" Jay is 16, has been involved in gang culture and is one of the many young people who feel it is necessary to carry a weapon for protection.
With 20 young people the victims of fatal stabbings this year at the time of writing, and groups such as the Street Weapons Commission created, reports such as the Youth Crime Action Plan and the media focus on the issue, isn't it time we looked at better solutions?
Of course, there is no short-term fix and the reasons for gun and knife crime affecting our young are complex, multiple and deep-rooted. However, we need to take action now to help young people help themselves through positive action and change.
Much of the discussion around the reasons for the rapid escalation in knife and gun crime centres around the role of the family, a perceived lack of discipline or structure in young lives, or the lack of a coherent identity, with young people joining gangs to gain a sense of belonging and protection.
We know that all young people benefit from having a positive adult role model in their lives - someone to support them, challenge them and help them develop strong social and personal skills that enable them to make better life choices. This role can be, and often is, played by youth workers.
At UK Youth, we welcome the increased focus on the need for more joined-up approaches - bringing together youth workers, families, the police, youth justice, schools, other agencies and young people.
A holistic approach and funding to develop youth work approaches could help deliver a real impact for young people. There is much in Aiming High, the government's 10-year strategy for young people, which supports holistic approaches, yet the funding regime is still predominately focused on "places to go", rather than on the people needed to run services for young people. It is not a question of either/or. We need both.
UK Youth has put forward proposals for Youth Zones - an endowment fund investment strategy to improve the sustainability and reach of the voluntary youth sector. Youth Zones would bring together the best provision, be responsive to the needs of young people, and link other agencies and local communities with quality youth work.
We need to give young people like Jay better opportunities, positive role models to help support and guide, and a real chance to break out of the cycle of believing violence is the status quo within our society.
