Knife crime: Stop and search not the answer, says youth committee

The Youth Select Committee is made up of 11-to-18-year-olds

Harsher prison sentences and increasing stop and search will not prevent youth knife crime, a report from young people suggests.

The Youth Select Committee report says it is "extremely concerned" over the government's plans to focus on a law and order approach to the crisis.

It said the issue cannot be "remedied" by increased stop and search.

A government spokesperson said it was "taking urgent action to tackle the scourge of serious violence".

The Youth Select Committee is a British Council initiative made up of eleven members aged 11-18 and focuses on issues most concerning to young people across the UK.

The committee's report said the government was not "listening to young people" or addressing their "fear".

• Knife crime reaches new high, police figures show

• What is knife crime like in your area?

The Youth Select Committee report says social factors such as poverty and inequality are the main causes of knife crime. It urges the government to create a plan with clear targets and deadlines aimed at tackling the injustices which make a young person more vulnerable to knife crime.

The government recently launched a £200m Youth Endowment Fund and a £22m Early Intervention Youth Fund, 10 year programmes aimed at steering young people away from becoming serious offenders.

But the report says these these two funds do not go far enough in providing the long-term security for youth services.

Committee chair Rachel Ojo said: "If the government wishes to confront the fundamental causes of the rise in violent crime amongst young people, it must do more to address and improve the difficult circumstances many young people are facing."

The report's recommendations include:

• Youth workers who can coordinate with other services to provide "wrap around" support

• Support for parent and guardians on how to "spot the signs" if their child is involved

• Creating platforms that can inspire young people such as mentoring programmes.

• Dedicated safety officers in schools that can lead to an improved relationships between young people and the police.

• Targeted interventions as a matter of urgency for those most at risk

The issue of knife crime was referred to the Youth Select Committee following the UK-wide ballot in which 1.1 million young people declared knife crime their biggest concern.

What is the scale of knife crime?

• The number of fatal stabbings in the year ending March 2018 in England and Wales was the highest on record with 285 killings in 2018/19 using a knife or sharp object

• 132 people were killed in London alone during that same period

• 93% rise in hospital admissions for knife attacks

• 25% of knife crime victims who are admitted to hospital are men aged 18-24.