Knife Crime

13 Restorative Conferencing brings together young people who have committed knife-related offences with victims (where appropriate), family members, and community representatives to address the harm caused and develop plans for making amends. Research evidence indicates that young people who participate in restorative processes are significantly less likely to reoffend compared to those processed through traditional court proceedings. Importantly, victim satisfaction rates in restorative processes consistently exceed those in conventional criminal justice proceedings. Community-Based Restorative Programmes extend beyond individual incidents to address the broader community impact of knife crime. These approaches recognise that weapon-carrying behaviour often reflects community-level trauma and social fragmentation. By facilitating dialogue between young people, residents, and local services, these programmes can rebuild social cohesion whilst providing young people with positive community connections that serve as protective factors against future violence involvement.