Youth Violence and Knife Crime in London Today: Going beyond the superficial approaches

Anyone, but especially a black teenager, can be a victim of knife crime or youth violence, resulting in pain and anguish for families, friends and community. Over the past 10 years there have been numerous promises by politicians to fix our “broken society” and tackle youth violence and knife crime, but these continue to be acute problems in “the greatest city on earth”. Youth violence and knife crime is often approached simplistically as a ‘lifestyle choice’ and a matter largely for the police and communities where such crimes most occur. However, the evidence overwhelmingly shows that it is a product of a range of factors including early childhood experience, brain development, socio-economic deprivation, and lack of timely interventions and positive opportunities for development of some of the most vulnerable young people in our society. This Thinking Space will go beyond the superficial approaches to explore the overlapping systemic and individual factors which underlie knife crime and youth violence today. It will also explore our role in this problem and what can be done to make a real difference.