In recent months there has been a worrying increase in the number of knife related attacks in the UK. Currently in the UK possession of a knife carries a prison sentence of up to 5 years even if it is not used. In the UK more than 50 people are caught everyday with possessing a knife. At least 36 people have been fatally stabbed and 62 overall killed in London since the beginning of the year. Met Police records show 37,443 recorded knife offences and 6694 recorded gun offences across the UK in the year up to September 2017. In London however the statistics compared to the rest of the country are substantially higher with 12,980 knife crimes this year. Four teenagers were stabbed to death on new years eve and 22 were killed in March alone. This now means that London’s murder rate is higher than New York’s! A shocking day of violence took place on 5th April 2018 when there were seven stabbing in the one day- six of which were in the space of 90 minutes.

In recent years possession of a knife or any sort of weapon has become so much more common and the reasons for carrying such a weapon have become more clear. Youths who carry a knife use it as a protection source. In the case of it being used it will be for self defence if they are attacked by another youth with a knife. It may be for their own mental safety (ie: they may feel reassured in their own minds and know they are now safe on they have a knife with them) Some people carry a knife because of peer pressure. Because of this some children young as 7 or 8 are forced to carry weapons for older gang members as the police won’t suspect a 7 or 8 year old carrying a knife. Some people carry a knife so that others will respect them. They think that they will be ‘top-dog’ in the area or estate they live in once they have the possession of a knife. 
 
As I have presented knife crime is at a worrying high but the police are working tirelessly to stop this and help protect the country. In future months hopefully the rate of attacks will decline and the percentage of attacks in the capital will begin to decline.