Nottingham East MP Nadia Whittome writes about the causes and solutions to youth violence.
The recent spate of knife crime in Nottingham has shaken our communities, leaving families devastated and residents anxious about their safety. Last month, I met with community leaders, campaigners, and residents to take a stand and send a clear message to the public: our city needs to commit to lasting change when it comes to tackling youth violence.
Behind every headline are human lives. First and foremost, knife crime is a tragedy for its victims. Too many lives have been lost to it, while survivors are left with life-changing injuries and trauma. In the end, friends and families are left to pick up the pieces, struggling to comprehend how such violence found its way into their world. It goes without saying that they all deserve justice.
Then, there are the young people carrying weapons. The saddest reality is how many of those caught with knives are teenagers making life-altering decisions in moments of fear. Many carry them out of a misplaced sense of protection, while others see violence as a means of survival in a society that offers them few opportunities. Punitive measures alone are not breaking this vicious cycle, and we need meaningful intervention that provides young people with security and aspirations that deter them from violence in the first place.
Despite our city's challenges, Nottingham is home to incredible grassroots organisations tackling youth violence. In my constituency, the work of Marcellus Baz at Switch Up – which uses sport, mentoring and non-formal education to steer young people away from crime and towards positive futures – has transformed the lives of many. Marcellus builds trust by using his own lived experience. Community organisers like him show what can be achieved when we invest in local organisations.
If we want young people to put down knives, we must also offer them real alternatives - security and opportunities that allow them to fulfil their potential and build a better future.
The journey that ends in a young person committing serious violence is often a long one, which is why we need even earlier interventions into root causes. These are inequality, poverty, and social exclusion. Studies show that children exposed to poverty and trauma are more likely to offend as adults, and it has been widely documented that areas with high levels of deprivation often see higher levels of violence, not because of inherent “criminality” but because of a lack of economic opportunity and robust support systems. Over a decade of Tory austerity brought about cuts to schools, youth services and mentorship programmes, which have contributed to an environment in which young people are growing up in rising poverty, experiencing abuse and neglect, as well as difficulties at school.
No child should grow up in poverty, yet too many families are struggling to make ends meet. If we are serious about ending knife crime, we must support families on the breadline, lift children out of destitution, and recommit to funding family services. The closure of 1,416 Sure Start centres by the Tories – an ambitious, large-scale early years programme introduced by the last Labour government, which aimed at improving the life chances of children, particularly those growing up in poverty – has had a huge impact on youth crime. Research shows that access to a nearby Sure Start centre between ages 0 and 4 significantly reduced youth crime that resulted in convictions or custodial sentences, while living within 2.5 kilometres of a Sure Start centre reduced the share of 16-year-olds who had ever received a criminal conviction by 13%.
If we want young people to put down knives, we must also offer them real alternatives - security and opportunities that allow them to fulfil their potential and build a better future. Young people deserve to feel safe in their communities and be proud of where they live. It is the government’s responsibility to create the conditions for them to lead happy, meaningful lives, starting with proper investment in education, training, and job creation, ensuring that every young person has a pathway to personal fulfilment. Local councils play a crucial role in funding vital youth services, yet after fourteen years of Tory cuts, many of these services have been stripped back or lost entirely. Restoring and expanding this funding is essential.
There also needs to be more support for trauma – for victims, families, friends and communities experiencing the collective trauma of knife crime, which is compounded after every incidence of violence.
We can also look to cities like Glasgow, which have employed a whole-community, public-health approach to reducing knife crime rather than only viewing it as a policing challenge. In 2006, Scottish authorities took the decision to form Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to tackle Glasgow’s violence. From the outset, the VRU maintained that violence is always preventable, not inevitable. By diagnosing violent behaviour much like any other “disease”, the VRU analysed the causes, examined what works and developed solutions, such as focusing on life skills and getting young people to communicate, negotiate and compromise with each other without resorting to violence. As a result, behaviours gradually changed, and some of the long-established gangs began to break up. The results have been profound. Emergency hospital admissions for assault fell by 55% within a decade, and there was a 65% decrease in crimes of handling offensive weapons.
The Labour government has made some positive commitments to tackling knife crime with the introduction of Young Futures Hubs – safe spaces where young people can access training, mental health support and employment opportunities. This is exactly the kind of intervention needed to prevent violence. The nationwide roll-out of these is urgently necessary, as stated by the Children’s and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition.
There also needs to be more support for trauma – for victims, families, friends and communities experiencing the collective trauma of knife crime, which is compounded after every incidence of violence. The youth services must be trauma-informed, and this approach is also necessary in schools and colleges.
Ultimately, the long-term solution to knife crime must be rooted in racial and economic justice. Inequality is a driving force behind youth violence, which is why our government cannot allow the rich getting richer at the expense of everyone else. Last year, Oxfam found that UK billionaires’ wealth increased by £35m a day to £182bn. This is with the backdrop of the UK’s wealth gap growing by 50% in eight years. Meanwhile, public services have been stripped to the bone. A fairer tax system - one that ensures those with the broadest shoulders contribute their fair share - would provide the funding needed to rebuild these essential services and give young people the support, stability, and opportunities they deserve. Investing in our communities doesn’t just help those at risk of being drawn into violence - it makes society safer, stronger, and more just for us all.
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