Knife crime is a major issue in London. The latest figures show that stabbings in the UK have risen by 16 per cent in 2018, according to The Sun. In Newbury Park, East London, a 19-year-old man is in a critical condition after being stabbed repeatedly in broad daylight on Wednesday afternoon. This is just one of many. East London is where I live, and where most of my family reside. The crime rate is soaring, and during summer, stabbings were reported on a nearly daily basis, sometimes more than one in a day. These were all over London. how do families deal with the loss of their loved ones that have fallen victim to such horror?
A friend of a friend (whom has asked to stay anonymous) has been a victim of knife crime. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and miraculously he survived. The boy he was with, was not so lucky. He was only 18 years old.
‘’They got the wrong person. Someone tipped their friend off and they thought the boys were in on it. I never thought I’d lose my son. He was the complete opposite of everything people believe victims of stabbings to be – he was a smart boy, had a lot to look forward to. And it’s sad to think he isn’t the last victim, there are many more of these that are swept under the rug.’’ The victim’s mother spoke.
In both North and East London, carrying a weapon is ‘the norm’ for young teenagers. ‘’It has been like that ever since I remember. Wherever you went carrying a knife was normal for me as you never knew the trouble you could land in to – especially if you were living that lifestyle. It was the idea of being tough, but now looking back at it, it was toxic masculinity. I never thought about what my mum would go through if she had to come into hospital to identify my body.’’ said my friend.
Stereotypically, we assume young people carrying knives are part of gangs. That is not the case – the Metropolitan Police proved 75% of young people carrying knives in London have no connection to gangs. So, what is the problem?
There are many possible answers to this question. One being the lack of support offered by youth clubs. It could be isolation. Bullying. Coming from broken homes. If we don’t communicate with the young people of London, how can we find out the issue and there proceed to find ways to solve it? Communication is essential when it comes to teenagers – they just need to be heard. If I felt scared, I’d arm myself – and that’s me being realistic. Knife crime isn’t just young people wanting to hurt each other, the issue is much deeper than that.
