What Can be Done About UK Knife Crime?

According to Reuters, overall knife crime in England and Wales has escalated by 87% over the past decade. In our latest blog post we look at the statistics and knife-carrying by children.

Police recorded knife crime is estimated to have grown by as much as 90% between 2012/13 and 2023/24. When making statistical comparisons like this its important to recognise changes in recording practices along with offence definitions. Increased and improved crime recording practices along with policing efforts and more frequent, low-level knife crime incidents, are cited as factors that contributed to this notable escalation.

It needs to be noted that although the overall number of recorded knife crime offences has escalated there has been a decline in the severity of these incidents, resulting in fewer hospital admissions.

But in the year ending March 2024 there were 262 recorded homicides using knives or other sharp objects, the highest level in a decade. During this recent period 46% of all homicides were carried out using sharp instruments.

Sadly, amongst teenagers, the proportion of sharp-instrument homicides is much higher. In the 2023/24 period 53 teenage homicide victims were killed with a sharp instrument, out of a total of 64 (83%). Ten years earlier, in 2013/2014, 56% of teenage homicide victims were killed with a sharp instrument. Knife crime clearly has a worryingly disproportionate impact on young people.

Why do Children Carry Knives?

Extensive research and studies have been carried out to determine exactly why children and young people choose to carry knives. Here’s a breakdown of the primary findings.

Fear and Perceived Need for Protection

According to the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), 50% of young people who carry knives, or other weapons, do so out of fear. They are not carrying a knife with the intent to commit a crime, they carry weapons to defend themselves. This is especially the case in communities where incidents of violence are common, making many youngsters feel unsafe and insecure.

Peer Pressure and Social Status

A 2024 survey conducted by the Ben Kinsella Trust found that some young people felt they were not safe unless they were carrying a weapon. Some youngsters feel pressured by peers or gang affiliations to carry knives and in some cases, carrying a knife is seen as a way to gain respect within their social groups.

Gang Involvement and Criminal Exploitation

Vulnerable youngsters can be exploited by gangs and county lines drug dealing networks. These criminal gangs take advantage of children who have been excluded from schools, those in-care and youngsters with mental health challenges. These susceptible youths can be exploited and coerced into carrying knives.

Normalisation of Violence and Carrying Weapons

In some groups, carrying knives has become normalised with the common belief that “everyone carries one”. Knife carrying is sometimes glorified via social media posts and in certain forms of popular music, encouraging impressionable youngsters to emulate those they admire. Knife carrying is portrayed as “tough” and essential to remain safe.

Lack of Trust in the Police and Authorities

As noted, fear and a perceived need for protection are key reasons why many youngsters carry knives. Many young people feel that the authorities and police don’t provide the security they need so they resort to carrying knives for personal protection. Young people are more likely to carry knives in areas where relations with local police forces have been strained and contentious.

Lack of Positive Opportunities and School Exclusion

It is clear that youngsters who have been excluded from school, or are in local authority pupil referral units, are more likely to carry knives or weapons. As noted, these youngsters are also more likely to be preyed-upon by crime gangs who exploit vulnerable children to act as lookouts, runners and drug-carriers.

Trauma and Exposure to Violence

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has reported a clear and strong link between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and youth violence. Youngsters who have experienced neglect, abuse or exposure to household dysfunction and violence, are far more likely to carry knives.

Mental Health Issues

Mental health issues such as anxiety, hyper-vigilance or PTSD, can prompt children to carry knives due to paranoia or perceived threat. Some youngsters, suffering from mental health issues, use knives in self-directed acts of harm.

Knives in Schools

A Sky News survey determined that 18% of secondary school teachers, in England, had seen pupils carrying knives or bladed instruments in school over the prior academic year. In London, over the past five years, 718 children, some as young as just 10, were caught with weapons in school, including knives and firearms. In Birmingham, over the years from 2017 to 2025, 120 pupils, aged under 17, were discovered carrying bladed weapons while on school premises. And in South Yorkshire police recorded 103 cases of children bringing knives into schools between 2022 and 2024.

In one shocking case a child aged just 4 years-old was found carrying a knife at school. In another case a 6 year-old pupil in North London threatened staff members with a knife. The youngster told staff he’d stab and kill them. And in Merseyside a 7 year-old was reported to police for carrying a knife at school.

These shocking incidents are sadly not isolated. They reflect broader systemic issues that clearly show the urgent need for effective preventive frameworks. Proactive education, school safety protocols, staff training and effective mental health services are all essential. Even when children exhibit violent tendencies and thoughts, the existing systems often fail to provide effective support or adequate safeguarding for others.

Practical Measures to Tackle Knife Crime in Schools

UK schools and education authorities are adopting a multi-layered strategy to combat knife carrying. A key layer, that`s recognised as effective, is boosting security and screening measures in schools.

At one London Academy, for example, knife arches were installed at pupil entrances and a permanent police presence was established. The school also provides a discreet, anonymous “knife drop bin” that enables pupils to safely dispose of any weapons.

Using walk-through metal detecting knife arches is a practical precaution supported by central government. The presence of these security arches acts as a powerful deterrent and fosters feelings of security within the school for both pupils and staff. The Metropolitan police is also offering the use of handheld metal detectors, as part of their Safer Schools operations.

Education and awareness are also recognised as essential and very effective in building trust with the police and authorities. Some organisations are providing powerful presentations, often from people directly affected by knife crime, to raise awareness and offer peer mentoring support.

Nationwide campaigns, such as Operation Sceptre, involved the use of local knife amnesty bins and the deployment of metal detecting knife arches in public areas. The Home Office’s “KnifeFree” initiative uses social media, school resources and advertising to challenge the view that carrying a knife provides protection and aims to educate youngsters in the legal and personal consequences of knife carrying.

Tougher legislation, such as the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, has banned the sale of some bladed weapons and tightened the rules for online knife purchases with improved age verification requirements.

If you have any questions about security metal detectors and knife arches, or if you have any special requirements, remember we are here to help. Give us a call on 01273 092921 and we’ll provide you with free, expert advice.

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