FEAR AND FASHION Bridge House Trust Fear and Fashion The use of knives and other weapons by young people ALG – Children, Families and Young Peoples Forum 6 th December 2005 Clare Thomas

FEAR AND FASHION 1097 William Rufus taxes for London Bridge Blackfriars, Southwark, Tower Bridges Grants – 4,500 Totalling £170m Timeline Representing 20% of total awards Overall budget £17.9m Children & Young People Grants – 666 Totalling - £34m Bridge House Trust

FEAR AND FASHION Children and Young People Aims: To redress imbalances in opportunities caused by poverty, disadvantage or circumstance and to encourage young people to fully participate in society.

FEAR AND FASHION Children and Young People Preventative Work Civic Engagement of Young People Helping Young People in Crisis Principles of Good Practice Involving young people in the planning and delivery of services Collaborative work and sharing of best practice Valuing diversity

FEAR AND FASHION Preventative work with young people supports work which reduces violence and the use of weapons amongst young people Why Fear and Fashion?

FEAR AND FASHION Aims of Research Further research to inform policy Explore the issues Identifying good practice Encourage responsible & informed debate Promote exemplar projects

FEAR AND FASHION Extent Communities that Care findings 10% of 11 – 12 year olds have carried a knife or other weapon 8% say they have used them 24% of 16 year olds have carried a knife or other weapon 19% have used them MORI for YJB found 29% of young people at school admitted they had carried a knife Higher likelihood for those excluded from school Peak age:

FEAR AND FASHION Types of knives and other weapons Knives: kitchen; combat; swords; stanley knives Baseball bats Snooker balls in socks Screwdrivers Chains Make-up containing blades

FEAR AND FASHION Location Streets Schools Youth clubs Locality: hotspots – Southwark/Lambeth N. Westminster/Brent

FEAR AND FASHION Causes: Fashion The role of TV and media much contested Must be interwoven with other factors e.g. parental influence, school exclusion Counter-factual evidence Knives hold a particular fascination for children (Glasgow University) Identity formation in adolescence Bridge to adulthood Gender identity Acquiring status amongst peers

FEAR AND FASHION Causes: Fear Fear outweighs aggression as a motivator Arming your attacker: Self-defence is the motive; violence is the result Crime in the street: violence and theft Bullying at school Gangs Experience of being a victim of a crime Reluctance to report crime Victims can become offenders Intending to harm

FEAR AND FASHION Integrated approaches Mentoring Conflict resolution Weapons awareness Reducing gangs Support for parents Exemplars or Demonstration Projects

FEAR AND FASHION Recommendations Proactive approaches Prevention and raising awareness Informal education Peer learning and influencing, particularly for those at risk Working with offenders Supporting young victims

FEAR AND FASHION Fear and Fashion – Our Response Commissioning 2 local exemplars projects – models of good practice, learning set, website, Advisory Group Aims: To develop exemplar, multi-agency projects working with young people to tackle knife culture so as to reduce the use and carrying of knives and other weapons, to support victims and to provide positive alternatives and long term change. 60 organisations invited to apply for grants of £150K p.a. 3 years initially – possibly extend to 5 years Total possible funding available £750,000 The Funding Consortium

FEAR AND FASHION Fear and Fashion – The Exemplars Will:- bring together a package of interventions to raise awareness of the problem and of the consequences of carrying weapons support school-age victims of crime and their families provide alternatives to carrying weapons and reduce frequency create positive peer group influences work in multi-agency partnership help develop a local strategy contribute and inform the wider policy debate on knife culture liaising with key Government departments including the Home Office, Department for Education and Skills and the Association of Chief Police Officers provide models of good practice and materials

FEAR AND FASHION Fear and Fashion - Website Aims: To provide a web-based information service for professionals and policy makers on issues relating to guns, gangs and knives To showcase examples of good practice To update on policy initiatives and emerging trends Estimated cost - £56,000 per year