Understanding the risks of knife crime for young people, recognising the warning signs that a child may be involved or at risk, and knowing where to get help.
Knife Crime is the understanding of the dangers and consequences of carrying or using knives, and the pressures that can lead young people towards knife-related violence.
Knife crime affects young people in communities across the UK. Children and teenagers can become involved as victims, as people who carry knives for self-protection, or through association with older individuals or gangs. The presence of a knife significantly increases the risk of serious harm, even when no one initially intends to use it. Carrying a knife is illegal for anyone under 18 and is an offence regardless of the stated reason for carrying it.
Young people may be drawn into knife crime through peer pressure, a desire for protection in areas where knife carrying is normalised, association with older peers or gang members, or through exploitation and county lines activity. Some young people carry knives because they genuinely fear for their safety — understanding this fear is important in addressing the behaviour. Children who are groomed by gangs or county lines operations are at particular risk. Social media can glamorise knife carrying and gang culture, making it appear aspirational.
In your child's behaviour
On their device
Talk openly about knife crime without lecturing
Have honest, age-appropriate conversations about the realities of knife crime — that carrying a knife increases the risk of being seriously hurt, that knives intended for self-protection are often used against the carrier, and that the legal consequences are serious. Avoid being preachy; ask questions and listen to your child's perspective.
Know your child's friendships and whereabouts
Stay connected with who your child spends time with, where they go, and what they do. This does not mean constant surveillance — it means maintaining a relationship where your child feels comfortable sharing their life with you. New older friendships or unexplained money should prompt a gentle, non-accusatory conversation.
If you suspect your child is carrying a knife, act urgently
Do not confront a child you believe is armed. Contact the police on 101 for non-emergency advice, or speak to your child's school. Early intervention is key — schools and youth workers can access support programmes that address the underlying reasons for knife carrying.
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Myth: Carrying a knife keeps you safer.
Fact: The opposite is true: carrying a weapon raises the stakes of every confrontation, and a knife carried 'for protection' can be used against the person carrying it. Many young people who carry do so out of genuine fear — which is why the answer is addressing that fear through trusted adults and support, not a blade.
Myth: Knife crime only happens to kids in gangs, in certain areas.
Fact: Most young people never carry a knife, but those drawn in come from all backgrounds and areas — through fear, peer pressure, social-media glamorisation, or grooming by county-lines operations. Assuming 'not my child, not round here' is exactly what stops parents noticing the early signs.
Myth: There's nothing parents can do — it's a matter for the police and schools.
Fact: Parents are usually the first to notice the changes that matter: new older friends, unexplained money or items, fear of certain places or routes, withdrawal. Talking openly without lecturing, staying connected to your child's life, and seeking early help through the school, youth services, or anonymous routes like Crimestoppers all change outcomes.
No heavy conversations needed yet — establish simple rules that knives and weapons are never touched or carried, and keep building the relationship where they tell you things. Children this age can also be targeted by exploiters precisely because they seem beyond suspicion, so know who they spend time with.
Start talking about peer pressure and how social media can make carrying look normal or aspirational. Watch for grooming signs — gifts, new older friends, being asked to hold or carry something — and make clear they can always come to you, whatever they have got involved in.
Have the direct conversation: carrying a knife is illegal whatever the reason given, and it makes them less safe, not more. Ask what they see and hear rather than lecturing, take any fear for their safety seriously, and involve the school or local youth services early if you are worried — do not confront a child you believe is carrying.
Focus on real situations: walking away from confrontations, avoiding flashpoints on nights out, and what to do if a friend is carrying or has been threatened — including anonymous reporting through Crimestoppers or Fearless. Being present when others carry can still draw them into serious legal trouble and danger.
Was this page helpful?