Comments on: Blaming knives for stabbings

By: Al Shaw

Al Shaw — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:25:32 +0000

An additional cause for concern in this area is that the police are increasingly being asked to take on roles traditionally carried out by parents.

When that practice becomes normative, societies are really in trouble.

By: Thersites

Thersites — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 07:03:13 +0000

“This year, sixteen teenagers have been murdered in London, on top of however many dozen victims there were in 2006.” Probably not many dozen- sixteen in five months averages at about three dozen a year.

“Back then, people were not stabbing each other …although, at my school, boys were beaten up in public ” Which is why there is concern about knives. After a beating-up, both attackers and victims are still alive and not serving long gaol sentences. The interesting thing is that adolescents are still doing childish things like pulling faces at each other and responding childishly if lethally. It’s an interesting example of social infantalisation.

By: iMuslim

iMuslim — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:02:36 +0000

I agree with what you’re saying, in that getting knives off the street is simply treating the symptom, and is not a cure for the disease itself. However, I do think it should be part of a much greater solution. However, coming from a relatively ‘privileged’ background, with a sheltered upbringing, I couldn’t really offer any good ideas wrt youth outreach programmes in deprived areas.