Stabbings.

[Lisdiz]

I just wondered what the situation is like in your own local areas and how safe you feel it is for children growing up?
Everyday I see more and more news reports of younger and younger teenagers being killed.
Hyde park Yesterday was shocking.
There have been a fair few this year that have actually made me cry.

 

[lhb120]

I live in an area where a 14 year old boy was murdered just the other day, as well as a boy I went to school with who was only 21 when he was stabbed and passed away last year.

Although I'm not fearful for my own personal safety, it has made me very concerned about the number of people who carry weapons and the potential for people to become seriously injured or even killed. It's such a shame that knife crime has become much more prevalent in recent years.

I'm a teacher and one of our tutor time sessions last week was about knife crime. Although no-one admitted to carrying a weapon themselves, a handful of my kids said they knew people who carried knives. I teach in a fairly rural school where a majority of students are privileged and well-supported so this was a real surprise to me.

Sorry for the long response but I would definitely agree with you that the risks that people face in terms of knife crime, especially children and young people, is really very heartbreaking.

 

[Lisdiz]

I live in an area where a 14 year old boy was murdered just the other day, as well as a boy I went to school with who was only 21 when he was stabbed and passed away last year.

Although I'm not fearful for my own personal safety, it has made me very concerned about the number of people who carry weapons and the potential for people to become seriously injured or even killed. It's such a shame that knife crime has become much more prevalent in recent years.

I'm a teacher and one of our tutor time sessions last week was about knife crime. Although no-one admitted to carrying a weapon themselves, a handful of my kids said they knew people who carried knives. I teach in a fairly rural school where a majority of students are privileged and well-supported so this was a real surprise to me.

Sorry for the long response but I would definitely agree with you that the risks that people face in terms of knife crime, especially children and young people, is really very heartbreaking.

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate the response.
I am getting worried because it is spilling out of bigger cities and into towns and even villages.

It sounds shocking to hear of students Knowing people who are carriers. It’s like a vicious cycle.
I think I know of the 14 year old murdered, it sounds horrific.
I just wonder at What point will the issue be addressed and solutions put forward to fix it?

I know Glasgow had a huge knife crime issue and helped cut the rates down by investing in the local communities.

Sorry to hear of the boy from your school who was killed. That must have been shocking.

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

I live in a town between Liverpool and Manchester and there are a fair amount of stabbings in both cities, plus stabbings in the towns surrounding.
Only recently there were around seven stabbings in one night at a local rave not far from where I live.
Then in the town where my mum lives there were three stabbings in the space of a month.

I do think it’s scary, I don’t have children, but I am concerned what the world will be like once I’m old and frail.

 

[lhb120]

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate the response.
I am getting worried because it is spilling out of bigger cities and into towns and even villages.

It sounds shocking to hear of students Knowing people who are carriers. It’s like a vicious cycle.
I think I know of the 14 year old murdered, it sounds horrific.
I just wonder at What point will the issue be addressed and solutions put forward to fix it?

I know Glasgow had a huge knife crime issue and helped cut the rates down by investing in the local communities.

Sorry to hear of the boy from your school who was killed. That must have been shocking.

Thank you for sharing your concerns and thoughts too.

I do worry that this is a problem without a simple solution. I suppose the responsibility to address it lies with lots of different people: the government, police, parents, schools, the people carrying weapons etc.

Who do we start with? How do we encourage all of these different groups to take responsibility?

I think at the heart of it is whether people have been personally impacted by knife crime or not. Like anything in life, people tend to promote and support causes that have impacted on their own life in some way. Those families who have been impacted by knife crime, or schools or communities that it has hit will be the first to campaign and raise awareness. How do we encourage the rest of the population to take action? I'm not sure!

I used to volunteer at a charity teaching life skills to children aged 10/11, and whilst I was there they brought in a section dedicated to the risks of carrying knives and knife crime. Perhaps educating children when they are young can help, but I do also think that children's home/family lives also play a huge part in whether or not they are likely to become involved in knife crime.

I know the police have ongoing operations to reduce knife crime in many areas, tougher penalities for those caught carrying, tighter security at places like nightclubs. Despite all of these efforts and more, many people fly under the radar and continue to put themselves and other people at risk.

There was a really powerful exhibition about knife crime that I saw a few years ago. A huge angel sculpture was built out of confiscated knives or knives from amnesty bins, and the exhibition talked about the impact of knife crime from lots of different perspectives. It was very powerful. I think the sculpture is still moving around the UK.

EDIT: link to the angel sculpture page - lots of very insightful information on here. https://www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/show-areas/the-knife-angel-official

 

[Lisdiz]

I live in a town between Liverpool and Manchester and there are a fair amount of stabbings in both cities, plus stabbings in the towns surrounding.
Only recently there were around seven stabbings in one night at a local rave not far from where I live.
Then in the town where my mum lives there were three stabbings in the space of a month.

I do think it’s scary, I don’t have children, but I am concerned what the world will be like once I’m old and frail.

It’s shocking and heart breaking.

 

[Magee]

I live in Manchester central, and only 5 mins ago I clicked off the Manchester evening news saying “I can’t believe there has been another stabbing”. It’s pretty much daily. Gun crime is also on the rise here.

 

[Lisdiz]

Thank you for sharing your concerns and thoughts too.

I do worry that this is a problem without a simple solution. I suppose the responsibility to address it lies with lots of different people: the government, police, parents, schools, the people carrying weapons etc.

Who do we start with? How do we encourage all of these different groups to take responsibility?

I think at the heart of it is whether people have been personally impacted by knife crime or not. Like anything in life, people tend to promote and support causes that have impacted on their own life in some way. Those families who have been impacted by knife crime, or schools or communities that it has hit will be the first to campaign and raise awareness. How do we encourage the rest of the population to take action? I'm not sure!

I used to volunteer at a charity teaching life skills to children aged 10/11, and whilst I was there they brought in a section dedicated to the risks of carrying knives and knife crime. Perhaps educating children when they are young can help, but I do also think that children's home/family lives also play a huge part in whether or not they are likely to become involved in knife crime.

I know the police have ongoing operations to reduce knife crime in many areas, tougher penalities for those caught carrying, tighter security at places like nightclubs. Despite all of these efforts and more, many people fly under the radar and continue to put themselves and other people at risk.

There was a really powerful exhibition about knife crime that I saw a few years ago. A huge angel sculpture was built out of confiscated knives or knives from amnesty bins, and the exhibition talked about the impact of knife crime from lots of different perspectives. It was very powerful. I think the sculpture is still moving around the UK.

I agree with all you have said. its a huge social issue and one that needs a long term fix. I fear for the state of the UK at the moment. I really do.
I live in a relatively safe area, but I still have a concern about the undercurrent in the current generation coming up.

The knife statue sounds powerful and should hopefully causes come changes.

 

[alwayslurkin]

I live in a town between Liverpool and Manchester and there are a fair amount of stabbings in both cities, plus stabbings in the towns surrounding.
Only recently there were around seven stabbings in one night at a local rave not far from where I live.
Then in the town where my mum lives there were three stabbings in the space of a month.

I do think it’s scary, I don’t have children, but I am concerned what the world will be like once I’m old and frail.

We probably live in the same place

In the past I'd carry a knife on the way back from a night out for my own protection (as a woman alone in the dark) but I wouldn't dream of it now! What if my potential attacker took it from me just because you carry, doesn't mean you have the balls to use it, either.

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

We probably live in the same place

In the past I'd carry a knife on the way back from a night out for my own protection (as a woman alone in the dark) but I wouldn't dream of it now! What if my potential attacker took it from me just because you carry, doesn't mean you have the balls to use it, either.

Probably, or very close!

I never go anywhere alone at night, I’m even reluctant to go anywhere alone at night in my car. It’s a scary world out there at times.

 

[Warpaint]

There was a good documentary on the issue a few years ago. Was one of the big estates in Liverpool. One of the kids said "This is all we know" which is pretty true. They're about 3 generations in and it's pretty much ingrained in them. All the thugs and gangsters from the 80's and 90's are now Dad's and Granddad's so the cycle just carries on. And to be blunt if it's scumbags killing scumbags wider society doesn't really care that much.

 

[Lisdiz]

There was a good documentary on the issue a few years ago. Was one of the big estates in Liverpool. One of the kids said "This is all we know" which is pretty true. They're about 3 generations in and it's pretty much ingrained in them. All the thugs and gangsters from the 80's and 90's are now Dad's and Granddad's so the cycle just carries on. And to be blunt if it's scumbags killing scumbags wider society doesn't really care that much.

It’s not though.
Sometimes it mistaken identity.
sometimes it’s autistic teens.
Sometimes it’s just an isolated incident rather then gang related. There are 4 killings I know of so far this year, some outside of London, where the children were not involved in gangs and were killed by 14 to 16 years olds and were only teens themselves.
Some of them ‘good lads’ too. Not affiliated with gangs, drugs etc.
Just happened to be known to a local psycho.
So, in some cases back ground does seem to be the leading factor, but for others who knows.

 

[Ceelea]

Savage people will be themselves.

 

[Warpaint]

It’s not though.
Sometimes it mistaken identity.
sometimes it’s autistic teens.
Sometimes it’s just an isolated incident rather then gang related. There are 4 killings I know of so far this year, some outside of London, where the children were not involved in gangs and were killed by 14 to 16 years olds and were only teens themselves.
Some of them ‘good lads’ too. Not affiliated with gangs, drugs etc.
Just happened to be known to a local psycho.
So, in some cases back ground does seem to be the leading factor, but for others who knows.

Yeah but you're always going to get stabbings like that. I thought you were talking about the explosion of gang stabbings which makes the news every few months.

 

[Be More Pacific]

It’s not though.
Sometimes it mistaken identity.
sometimes it’s autistic teens.
Sometimes it’s just an isolated incident rather then gang related. There are 4 killings I know of so far this year, some outside of London, where the children were not involved in gangs and were killed by 14 to 16 years olds and were only teens themselves.
Some of them ‘good lads’ too. Not affiliated with gangs, drugs etc.
Just happened to be known to a local psycho.
So, in some cases back ground does seem to be the leading factor, but for others who knows.

Sometimes but it usually it's just gangs/county lines/turf wars/drugs.

Bottom line is there is usually a reason someone gets shot or stabbed. Truly innocent victims are rare. Chad Gordon is one - a genuine case of mistaken identity. Marta Vento another - killed whilst at work by a paranoid schizophrenic off his medication. There's a trial ongoing at the moment for the murder of Aya Hachem - she was shot and 100% not the intended target. I realise I've just named three off the top of my head but they stand out because they are so few and far between.

I follow trials all over England and that is my experience.

And no, I don't have any answers.

I live in East London - it's not that bad where I am but obviously (that sounds so causal doesn't it?) there have been several murders in the two years I've lived here. I thank Christ every day I don't have children for many reasons but definitely what's happening in this country is one of them.

 

[Dipdab]

Where I live in North london it happens a lot, a couple of years ago there was a murder 2 streets away from me. It does worry me but I do think it can happen anywhere now unfortunately. And as bad as this sounds I think you learn to tune out from most of it as 99% it is gang/drug related