Knife Crime

12 Appendix 1: Research-informed alternative programmes The Crime and Policing Bill's emphasis on enforcement measures overlooks a substantial body of research supporting alternative intervention models that have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing youth violence without the associated risks of criminalisation. These approaches merit serious consideration as complementary or, in many cases, superior alternatives to the proposed legislative measures. Community-Led Violence Interruption Programmes have shown promise in addressing knife crime at its source. Models such as the Cure Violence approach , implemented successfully in cities including Glasgow and London boroughs, treat violence as a public health issue requiring community-based intervention. These programmes employ credible messengers - often individuals with lived experience of violence - to mediate conflicts before they escalate to weapon use. Evaluation evidence from Glasgow's Violence Reduction Unit demonstrates sustained reductions in serious violence through such approaches, with the city experiencing a 50% reduction in homicides between 2004 and 2014 following implementation of public health-based interventions. Trauma-Informed Youth Mentoring Schemes represent another evidence-based alternative that addresses the underlying drivers of weapon-carrying behaviour (Creaney et al., In Press). Research consistently demonstrates that young people who carry knives often have extensive histories of trauma, including exposure to violence, family disruption, and community adversity. Programmes such as the London-base d Redthread initiative , which places youth workers in hospital emergency departments, have shown significant success in engaging young people at critical moments and diverting them from further violence involvement. These interventions recognise that many young people carry weapons not from criminal intent but from genuine fear and perceived necessity for protection. Educational and Skills-Based Interventions offer long-term prevention strategies that address risk factors before they manifest in weapon-carrying behaviour. Peace education programmes, as briefly mentioned above, teach conflict resolution skills and provide young people with alternatives to violence. Similarly, targeted educational re-engagement programmes for excluded pupils - who are disproportionately represented in knife crime statistics - have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing both offending behaviour and victimisation risk. Restorative Justice Approaches Restorative justice offers a particularly compelling alternative for addressing knife-related offences, especially those involving young people. Rather than focusing solely on punishment, restorative approaches emphasise accountability, harm repair, and community healing. These interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing reoffending whilst addressing the needs of both victims and offenders (Hobson et al., 2022).