Young People, Violence and Knives - Revisiting the Evidence and Policy Discussions by Roger Grimshaw and Matt Ford
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UK Justice Policy Review FOCUS Issue 3 Young people, violence and knives - revisiting the evidence and policy discussions By Roger Grimshaw and Matt Ford Centre for Crime and violence which underlie the familiar themes of Justice Studies Introduction 2 Langley Lane ‘gangs’ and illegal drug markets. These deeper London SW8 1GB [email protected] As well as providing an update on recent trends influences include some fundamental social www.crimeandjustice.org.uk in the phenomenon of ‘knife crime’, this briefing relationships - inequality, deprivation and social ©Centre for Crime and seeks to review the subsequent development of trust - as well as mental health. Justice Studies November 2018 policy themes that emerged in a series of reports ISBN: 978-1-906003-68-5 At its heart are choices about the scope and published by the Centre for Crime and Justice effects of criminal justice as a means of managing UK Justice Policy Review Focus Studies (CCJS) in the period around 2008 when is a series that sits alongside public safety. Does criminal justice offer a the annual UK Justice Policy knife crime reportedly last peaked in England Review reports. It offers proven and certain way to increase protection in-depth analysis of criminal and Wales. It highlights the progress of different justice policy and data for populations or are there alternatives which developments. strategic approaches to violence and what we can discern about their prevention mechanisms and deserve concerted development and review? In The views expressed in this particular what does a ‘public health’ approach document are those of the effects. authors and not necessarily mean? Is it police-led, albeit with community those of the Centre for Crime Our previous report sponsored by the Children’s and Justice Studies or The and multiagency support, as described by the Hadley Trust. Commissioner was based on a thorough review umbrella label ‘pulling levers’? Or does it mean The Centre for Crime and analysis of literature which established a and Justice Studies is an the coordination of a range of public services, independent educational clear judgement of how the evidence on gun comprising early years interventions, inclusive charity that advances public and knife violence then lay (Silvestri et al., understanding of crime, education, adolescent and family services, criminal justice and social 2009). Though the evidence base was not harm. Through partnership and community work, and so on? coalition-building, advocacy extensive, the conclusions pointed towards some and research, we work to The idea that violence can be reduced by a inspire social justice solutions promising evidence-based approaches to violence to the problems society faces, ‘public health’ approach is relatively novel. Can so that many responses that prevention, and questioned the dominance of criminalise and punish are no criminal justice in strategic responses. As in the physicians, rather than police officers, devise longer required. earlier report we have broadened the focus of techniques of violence prevention based on Registered charity No. 251588 study to include evidence about interpersonal combating epidemic diseases? Can communities A company limited and individuals affected by violence be engaged by guarantee violence more generally where this seemed Registered in England appropriate: knives are such an everyday tool of in new ways that address the underlying drivers No. 496821 violence that their use does not qualify for an of violence instead of the surface manifestations? exclusive study and wider lessons about violence Similar ideas have been applied in numerous reduction therefore apply. projects in the USA and imported to the UK through the Violence Reduction Unit, a police-led This briefing does not replicate the scale of our project in Scotland. While these approaches have earlier evidence review. Instead we referred to been broadly welcomed in the UK, they have not materials collated from literature searches that so far been implemented in England and Wales sought to identify important developments based with the focus and investment that might have on the previous themes which as we shall see are been expected. Had they been put into practice, coming into clearer focus in public discussion. we might have been able to see more evidence In particular, the study identifies ‘drivers’ of about their effectiveness. Young people, violence and knives - revisiting the evidence and policy discussions CENTRE FOR CRIME AND JUSTICE STUDIES 1 UK Justice Policy Review FOCUS Issue 3 Statistical trends separately identifying offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year ending March 2008. Media-led alarm at a recent increase in recorded The extension of the number of offences covered knife crime and a spate of knife killings has led as well as recording changes means a consistent to a renewed focus on strategies to address knife time series is only available from the year ending violence. ‘Knife crime’ is not a specific offence; March 2011. Aggregate statistics cover violent and it refers to a collection of different offences in sexual offences which are presumed to include which a knife is used, as well as knife possession almost all offences involving a knife. Offences offences. Recorded knife crime is only one of a included in the totals are: homicide, attempted number of sources of data on trends in offences murder, threats to kill, assault with injury and involving knives. Each source varies in scope and assault with intent to cause serious harm, robbery, the extent to which they accurately reflect the real rape and sexual assault. levels of what they are purported to identify. To assess the current situation in England and Wales, Figure 1 shows the trend in offences involving a we must look at the various sources of data on knife or sharp instrument since the year ending trends in knife crime in the round. March 2011. After declining to lows in the year ending March 2014, records of these offences Crimes involving use of a knife have risen consistently to peaks over the period in Police recorded crime figures are those most often 2017/2018. The overall increase over the period is touted by the press as ‘proof’ of a surge in knife 23 per cent, with a 57 per cent increase since the crime. Police recorded crimes are those reported year ending March 2014. The most recent figure to and recorded by the police. Forces began shows a 16 per cent rise on the previous year. Figure 1. Knife or sharp instrument offences in England and Wales. 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 No. of officers 10,000 5,000 0 Mar 11 Mar 12 Mar 13 Mar 14 Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 17 Mar 18 Source: Office for National Statistics, 2018a. Police recorded crime figures can be affected by the rises in recorded crime observed in recent changes to recording practices, rates of reporting, years. Although lower-volume, higher-harm and police activity, meaning trends in police offences such as those involving a knife or sharp recorded crime statistics do not necessarily instrument are not thought to be affected by these reflect those in the real levels of the offences they issues, it is still thought that better recording by purport to capture. Recorded crime figures lost police forces contributed to the increase (Office their official statistics status in the year ending for National Statistics, 2018a). March 2014. Improvements in recording by local Overall knife crime is not evenly distributed forces are said to have contributed to some of among the 43 territorial police forces of England Young people, violence and knives - revisiting the evidence and policy discussions CENTRE FOR CRIME AND JUSTICE STUDIES 2 and Wales. In 2017/2018, just six forces recorded of crime victimisation, provides more reliable 60 per cent of offences involving knives or sharp estimates of the number of higher-volume, lower- instruments, with 36 per cent of all offences harm offences each year because it does not rely recorded by the Metropolitan Police alone (Office on them coming to the attention of the police. for National Statistics, 2018b). Trends in knife Volatility in estimates of lower volume phenomena crime are not uniform across forces either. like knife crime, inherent to any survey data, mean Although all but eight forces registered increases the CSEW is not seen as a reliable measure of in knife crime between 2016/2017 and 2017/2018, trends in knife offences. the size of the increases ranged from two to 53 per cent. Similarly, over a longer time period, between Like the CSEW, data on admissions to hospital 2010/2011 and 2017/2018, increases in knife for assault by a sharp object do not rely on them crime were seen in 36 forces and the increases coming to the attention of the police and being ranged from two to 129 per cent. Media reports of recorded by them. These figures do not include a ‘surge’ in knife crime will make more sense in cases where somebody attends an accident and some areas than others. emergency department with stab wounds but is The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), not subsequently admitted to hospital. It only which asks households about their experiences covers the most serious instances of wounding. Figure 2. Number of finished consultant episodes for assault by sharp object, England and Wales. 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 episodes 2,000 1,000 Number of finished consultation 0 2010/20112011/20122012/20132013/2014 1998/19991999/20002000/20012001/20022002/20032003/20042004/20052005/20062006/20072007/20082008/20092009/2010 2014/20152015/20162016/2017 Source: Allen and Audickas, 2018. The years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 saw increases Crimes involving knife possession only in admissions to hospital for assault by sharp The statistics discussed above all relate to instrument, reversing a declining trend which offences involving the use of weapons.