Memorandum submitted by 11 MILLION
1. WHO ARE
WE?
How were we established?
11 MILLION is a national organisation led by
the Children's Commissioner for England, Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green.
The Children's Commissioner is a position created by the Children
Act 2004.
What do we do?
We have a statutory role to promote the views
and interests of children and young people across England. This
gives us a unique role in bringing children's ideas into the centre
of the political process.
Meeting the challenges of the Children Act 2004
The Children Act requires the Children's Commissioner
to be concerned with the five aspects of well-being covered in
Every Child Matters—the national government initiative
aimed at improving outcomes for all children. It also requires
us to have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child (UNCRC). The UNCRC underpins our work and informs
which areas and issues on which we focus our efforts.
Our long-term goals
Children and young people see significant improvements
in their wellbeing and can freely enjoy their rights under the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Children and young people are more highly valued
by adult society.
Main project
Every year, we have a main project which is
decided by children and young people. The lead project for 2008-09
is "Gun and Knife Crime".
Spotlight areas
Our "spotlights" are the areas where
we will influence emerging policy and debate. Our spotlights for
2008-09 are Respect and Discrimination, Asylum and Happy and Healthy.
2. GUN AND
KNIFE CRIME—11
MILLION'S LEAD PROJECT
FOR 2008-09
11 MILLION is committed to children and young
people's participation in all aspects of its work. Children and
young people choose the organisation's lead projects, selecting
Gun and Knife Crime as our lead project in 2008-09.
The project has three main elements: participation
is its bedrock; the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's
College London have been commissioned to undertake a literature
review; and a quantitative study will also be conducted by a professional
polling company, with significant input from young people. The
project is conceptualised as a three-tiered pyramid.
The project team include? some 90 children and
young people, aged between nine and 18, and from different geographical
locations but all with experience, either directly or indirectly,
of gun and/or knife crime. They are from are: Manchester, London,
Leicestershire, Merseyside and Birmingham.
By the end of the project, we will have a body
of evidence which we will draw together into a report that analyses
the key issues, and identifies practice and policy priorities.
The report will be solution-focussed. We expect to make recommendations
using the Commissioner's statutory powers.
This submission does not pre-empt 11 MILLION'S
final project report. It documents the views of the children and
young people involved in the project, as well as the views of
those who have given their views to 11 MILLION via our website
(www.11 MILLION.orq.uk).
3. WHAT CHILDREN
AND YOUNG
PEOPLE HAVE
TOLD US
ABOUT THE
CARRYING OF
KNIVES
Offender profiles, and public perceptions of levels
of knife crime
"It makes me nervous to go out some-times
for I think that any-one can be carrying a knife and/or a gun
!!!"
Little Miss Bossy, 11
"Gun and knife crime is really getting me
worried, angry, nothing is safe any more even on the news every
day there is a new murder story and it is making this world the
worst place in the universe".
Mia, 11
"The media publish that we are ail knife
welding maniacs, and this is just not true. We are just people.
The media always focus on the bad. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY".
Golden Shadow, 14
"My cousin has been stabbed by a gang and
it was heart-wrenching to know that a group of youths did that.
Not all youths are like that though".
Anonymous
"My mum wont let me go on my bike to my
friends house who lives 20 minutes away because she is afraid
of the violence".
Titch, 15
"They say in the UK someone gets threatened
with a knife every eight minutes".
Jordan, 16
"I think gun and knife crime has been going
on for years but we have not heard about it due to developing
media. Also why are they cracking down on us (teens) when most
of us have not been invovled in knife crimes?"
Tigz, 18
Children and young people have told us they
are deeply worried by knife crime. At the same time they believe
that some adults are stigmatising teenagers in general for the
misbehaviour of a few.
11 MILLION shares the grave concern of children,
young people and the public at large about the high level of knife
crime. It is clear that safety fears are themselves playing into
the problem. It is therefore unfortunate that public perceptions
of the level of offending are often exaggerated. As the UN Committee
on the Rights of the Child has recently noted, there is a widely
held fear of young people, which has partly been fuelled by the
consistently negative portrayal of young people in the media.
Developments such as the "Mosquito" device are symptomatic
of public attitudes which are defined by fear and a lack of engagement.
11 MILLION therefore welcomes the work of the Department for Children,
Schools and Families to break down barriers between children and
adults.
Causes: reasons for knife-carrying and use
"I think young people carry knives because
they are scared for their own safety".
Kenty, 12
"They do it because they may have family
problems or feel insecure. But I think the main reason they do
it is because they are scared of getting hurt so they hurt others
so others can't hurt them".
Gemma, 11
"I think children and young people carry
knives because they were abused by their parents".
Zachary, 10
"People carry guns & knives for defence
& to attack people or to vandalise things".
Finn, 11
"In the community I live in violence is
a part of every day life of the young people".
Male, 18, Leeds
"There is temptation to use a knife when
there is acesess to it".
Hannah, 12
Young people have told us they believe the main
reason somebody would possess a knife is fear/protection, because
they believe other young people are carrying knives, and mistakenly
think that if they carry a knife, it offers them protection. This
in turn encourages more young people to carry knives. They say
some young people carry knives with a view to using them but believe
this is only in a small minority of cases. In some cases knives
are carried as status symbols, although young people do not believe
this is usually the case.
In the report of the four UK Children's Commissioners
to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child earlier this year,
11 MILLION said that children and young people in England felt
increasingly unsafe in their local area with one in four concerned
about violence, crime and weapons.
Causes: Availability of knives
Young people have told us that knives are easily
available, either from the kitchen at home or from shops. They
say that those who are under 18 but who appear older are rarely
challenged if they attempt to buy a knife in a shop.
There is no evidence that knives are more or
less widely available today than in previous years, yet knife
crime has risen. While encouraging rigorous enforcement of the
current age restriction, 11 MILLION recognises that "supply
side" measures can only have a marginal impact.
Solutions: education, parents and community projects
"I raise self-esteem by working in schools
and younger children look up to me wanting to know how they can
do it too. Young people need to believe they can do things. We
need to raise self-esteem from a primary school age".
Kemoy, 17, Manchester
"Knife crime has affected my life because
of the area where I live, which is near a council estate. I personally
think the children who use knives are not to blame, it is their
parents and the way they were brought up".
Mizzy, 12
"People who carry weapons are misunderstood,
not dangerous—the weapons are dangerous, so we should try
to understand. They could be angry/alone/hurt, and we immediately
assume they're horrible, and thats nor right. Why arent we helping?"
Beef Cheese, 11
"They do it because they may have family
problems".
Gemma, 11
"People who have no where to go might be
violent, so more youth
clubs and sports".
Hayley
The young people with whom we are working have
identified a number of issues they believe would help reduce knife
crime. Broadly, these are:
— raising self-esteem and aspirations
among young people;
— rehabilitation, training and education
for young offenders, which is linked to raising of self-esteem
and aspirations;
— education programmes for young people,
such as knife awareness programmes and knife referral projects,
which demonstrate the risks and consequences of knife carrying;
— peer mentoring, with young people
most likely to be influenced by those of their own or a similar
age;
— giving young people more "things
to do", such as youth clubs, and ensuring that they are open
at times that suit young people;
— importance of role models, and the
belief that good role models, and good mentors, are those who
have come from a similar background and succeeded, thereby offering
inspiration and support;
— early intervention schemes which
support vulnerable children or young people, such as those exposed
to known risk factors: parental drug or alcohol abuse, domestic
violence, or a parent involved in crime.
Solutions: police operations, amnesties and enforcement
"Unite police and young people and not make
them hate each other".
Anonymous
"[Stop and search] should be done in a private
place".
Chamel, 14
"I don't think that it is right that every
young person gets stopped and searched every time the police see
them".
Mickie, 18, Manchester
"More police patrolling areas and schools
to help young people have a fun and good time in schools and at
home".
Boy, 10, Birmingham
"People should not be allowed to carry knives.
The police should continue confiscating knives and arresting people".
Dorina, 10, London
"my school were going to get metal detectors
that was ages ago we still haven't got them I think that we need
them because there was a stabbing out side".
Emma, 11
Almost all the project's children and young
people think stop-and-search has a part to play in reducing knife
crime. Young people see the need for, and indeed want, targeted
stop-and-search operations based on intelligence.
Many of the project's teenagers have themselves
been stopped and searched. They report unacceptably wide variations
in the way stop-and-searches are conducted. Sometimes police officers
treat them with respect; but too often they say they are made
to feel like criminals and that they then develop a negative attitude
towards the police. Teenagers have told us that the police do
not respect them, and they in return do not respect the police.
Attitudes generally become more negative with age. Pre-adolescent
children generally respect the police and welcome them as a protective
presence.
Many young people have told us how they would
like to work with the police to help them develop their practices
towards young people. 11 MILLION appreciates that many police
forces across the country are engaging creatively with children
and young people to improve practice and public safety.
A checklist for police officers to make stop
and search better:
— Explain how important it is to stop
and search people.
— Don't search young people in a public
place.
— Make positive/good conversation with
young people.
— Thank the young people and show your
appreciation for their time.
— Don't jump to conclusions all the
time.
— Don't shout, don't be aggressive—show
respect.
Compiled by London youth project
Some of the young people we have spoken to say
metal detectors in schools may promote fear, while others would
welcome them as a protective or deterrent measure. Most project
members agree that ifthey are to be introduced, they should be
used at all schools, to avoid stigmatising, and adding to fear.
Young people say amnesties may have a positive
effect in the short term but that they will not improve safety
over a sustained period. In particular, they doubt that that the
minority of young people who carry knives with the intent of using
them, would be amongst those handing in their weapons.
11 MILLION believes stop and search can have
a positive but limited role. The number that lead to arrests for
knife possession is low, especially for Section 60 searches. 11
MILLION sees no evidence that amnesties have a sustained positive
effect.
Solutions: convictions, penalties and sentencing
"anyone who uses knives will just end up
in jail".
Lisa, 13
Most of the project's young people believe that
custodial sentences should only be used in cases of wounding.
They see a clear difference between carrying and using, although
they appreciate that carrying can lead to using. They therefore
believe that young people caught in possession of a knife should,
for a first offence, receive a warning and be required to attend
a knife education programme which will bring home the consequences
and dangers of carrying.
Although the penalties for knife crime have
stiffened, and the presumption of prosecution has recently been
strengthened, the level of offending has not reduced. To date,
therefore, there is no evidence that stronger sentencing has had
a deterrent effect.
In conclusion, 11 MILLION'S work with children
and young people through this project, and our contact with numerous
other projects, demonstrates that the problem of knife crime is
best tackled by understanding the views and experiences of those
most directly affected, and by working with them to implement
solutions.
4. CASE STUDIES
Hakeem, 18, from Manchester
"There's no specific person who carries
a knife. Anyone is capable. I come from somewhere which is meant
to be a difficult place, but I don't carry a knife, I have never
carried a knife. But other people around here, who have the same
background, they do carry a knife. It's just the choice I made
and the choice they made. Maybe I know that if I do carry a knife
it's going to get me in trouble, you know, with the police or
I'm going to get hurt, and then I can't do what I want with my
life. But maybe they don't think they have much a life, or maybe
they don't understand what will happen to them.
"There are a few reasons for young people
carrying a knife. They might feel threatened because they think
other people are carrying them. It's a fashion accessory to some
people, who want to look hard, or it could be for criminal use,
people who actually want to use them. But it's like a chain reaction.
If someone knows someone else has a knife they carry one and then
that person gets in a fight and uses it and so more people carry
them because they're frightened thinking that lots of other people
are carrying them.
"I've been stopped and searched so many
times since the age of 14 I've lost count".
Hakeem, from Manchester
"I think the age range [for carrying knives]
is from 15 up, maybe younger, I don't know for sure. Knives are
very available to all ages. They're not illegal and you can just
get them from your own house. They're less available in shops
but if you're over 18, or if you look over 18, there's no reason
why you can't get a knife.
"In London the media coverage reflects
the amount of knife crime. It happens in other places but when
I think of knife crime I think of London. But here [Manchester]
too there's definitely more young people carrying them than five
years ago, and the crime rate has gone up for young people involved
in knife crime and violence, which is obviously going to happen
if more people carry knives.
"In my experience of stop and search policies,
they haven't been effective. I've been stopped and searched more
times than many people I know are involved in carrying knives,
`ve never been arrested because I've never carried a knife. But
I've been stopped and searched so many times since the age of
14 I've lost count. Some of the police can be very good. They
can be normal and speak to you in a polite manner. Some are very
heavy-handed and assume you're a criminal.
"I know they're doing their job and there
would be no order without police but certain police officers are
over the top. They don't help the situation. They worsen the feeling
towards the police. Generally young people don't like the police.
Stop and search can be a good policy but it needs to be done properly.
There's a way to get round stop and search. Only if you're in
groups is when you get stopped and it depends how you dress. If
I'm wearing jeans and just casual clothes and if I'm on my own,
I won't be stopped. But if I'm in a group wearing trackies I'm
more likely to be stopped.
"If they're caught carrying a knife I think
they should get a minimal sentence like probation something like
that. What good does locking them up do? You need to ask why they're
carrying and if they understand the seriousness. Locking them
up would be bad because they could get worse. They should get
intervention. Help and advice. People should sit them down, find
out the reasons and educate them. If you use the knife, the sentence
should be heavy. They need to be deterred. Young people are doing
it because they are getting away with it. When they are locked
up they should have counselling so that they learn what they are
doing wrong and the reasons behind it".
Janeece, teenager, from Manchester
Why do you think young people carry knives?
"I think young people carry knives to feel
protected or they might feel that they are hard just because they
are carrying a knife but they don't realise the consequences of
carrying a knife".
You say that some young people carry them because
they feel protected. What do you mean by that?
"They hear a lot of stuff in the newspaper
about people being affected by knife crime but they don't know
if it's going to come their way soon. They might think, yeah,
it's going to hit them but they don't really know".
Do you think some young people carry knives actually
to use them, with a desire to use them?
"No, not really. I think people from different
areas, they might have heard something about knife crime that's
gone on in [another] area so they might feel that if they go in
that area that it might happen to them ... but it might not happen
as often as the newspapers are saying".
"Knives are very available because you can
just go in your kitchen drawer".
Janeece, from Manchester
Do you know of people who carry knives?
"I know of one boy [who carries a knife]
but I don't really know of many".
How old is that boy?
"The boy is 11 nearly 12".
Have you spoken to him about this?
"I asked him the reason why he carries
a knife, the knife, and he says because he feels protected. He's
afraid of what's going to come even though he's not part of any
gangs or anything".
What do you think the consequences could be for
him for carrying a knife?
"He might end up hurting somebody or he
might get himself into really deep trouble or it could get it
put on his criminal record".
How available do you think knives are to young
people?
"Knives are very available because you
can just go in your kitchen drawer and get the sharpest knife
there is there, so they're very available".
Do you think that once a young person decides
to carry a knife and is walking around with it, that stop and
search can help reduce knife crime?
"Stop and search could help a little but
as well people might feel intimidated about somebody touching
them and going into their own personal space".
Have you ever been stopped and searched?
"No".
Do you know of friends who have been stopped and
searched?
"I know a couple of friends".
Have they told you about that experience?
"They said that they didn't like it because
they didn't like the way the police were touching them and the
way they were talking to them and that they weren't talking to
them politely, they were talking in a rude manner".
Are you against stop and search?
"No, not really because I think it's helped
to reduce it a little but as well people that are carrying knives
might just end up walking past police while an innocent person
is getting searched".
What do you think should happen to a young person
who is caught carrying a knife?
"They should get the knife taken off them
as well they should be told the dangers of carrying a knife and
maybe given a warning".
How about the young person who actually uses a
knife?
"I think they should get locked up and
as well I think that during the time they are locked up someone
should go up to them and talk to them and ask them the real reason
why they are carrying a knife".
Do you think there s a lot of coverage of knife
crime in the media at the moment?
"A little bit but it's a mixture of gun
and knife crime".
Do you think that the media coverage reflects
the amount of knife crime there is?
"I think a little bit because young people
might read a newspaper and hear about this stabbing or something
and then they think I should carry a knife just in case that happens
to me".
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