Knife Crime in the United Kingdom - Report Example

Knife crime in the UK Knife crime is a serious social problem and is like an epidemic among the teenagers and a threat to the safety of human life and property. It must be considered as a more serious offense because it affects the character formation of teenagers. As the teenagers are the future citizens, future of our society and culture is under threat. Here, media can play an important role to pressurize the government to formulate and implement effective laws against knife crimes. The problem becomes more complicated when the person who committed the crime is sentenced. This provides them an opportunity to get exposed to other criminals and the imprisonment turns out to be more harmful. When one compares the crime statistics of UK with that of the world statistics, it can be seen that the country constitute a meager portion of similar killings but it is considered as a national crisis. Reports state that there was an increase from 12 killings in 2006 to 37 killings nationally in 2007 in which the victim and assassin were under 18, clears the doubts related to the alarming problem of knife crimes, especially among the teenaged. A government Bill which is currently in the House of Lords features Legislature to prohibit the sale of knife or other sharp instrument to those who are under 18. Here, Mick Hume points out: "Total murders in London were down in 2007 for the fifth year in succession, from 222 in 2003 to 160 last year. Within those figures, the numbers of teenagers killed did rise - by 'over 50 per cent' as some reports put it. In hard numbers, however, that was an increase from 17 deaths to 26." (Hume 2008). When the total rate of crimes in London shows a decreasing tendency, the numbers of teenagers killed is at an increasing rate. In older days, holding a knife for self defence was not considered as a serious offence. But now the situation is becoming more and more complicated and laws in countries worldwide limits the rights of citizens. When a teenager commits a crime by using a knife, there are some limitations to the hard laws. The punishment is decided according to the seriousness, circumstance, seriousness of the injury, etc of the person who committed the crime. So, illegal carriage of knife will result in imprisonment up to 2 years. There are Borstal schools and Juvenile homes for the teenagers who had committed the crime. Here, W. J. Forsythe points out that, decision to construct these sorts of schools and houses for the teenage criminals is to transform their character. As Forsythe states, "They had come into being as a result of assumptions that young offenders were contaminated by prolonged contact with older prisoners, that they lost their dread of prison if sent there at an early age for lengthy periods and that, because of youthful plasticity of personality and susceptibility to environmental influence, they would respond to a regime of training and education." (Forsythe 1990, p. 45). At these schools and homes, the teenagers are provided with training and education for their future life. The punishment is for the crime committed, not against the person. The psychological and mental torture suffered by the person who committed the crime must be considered. Rod Morgan and Malcolm D. Evans observe: "This view implicitly underpins the suggestion that torture is almost universally proscribed and deprecated and is engaged in only by aberrant individuals or regimes, mostly in far-away places: that is, a phenomenon that need not much concern us in Europe." (Morgan and Evans 1998, p. x). By generalizing the problem of torturing the teenaged criminals, the right as a human being is limited. Moreover, violence is considered as an important topic in British law and the punishment is decided according to the seriousness of the crime committed. According to J. Carter Wood, the study of the history of crime states that extend of crime had risen or declined according to social change: "Violence has become a distinct topic in English historiography through the histories of crime, the criminal law and political protest. Beginning in the 1960s, studies of crowds and "mobs" delineated elements of a "moral economy" and ritualized group violence. Statistical studies of crime developed in the 1970s and raised frequent debates about the extent to which crime had risen or declined and the impact of other sorts of social data on crime rates." (Wood 2004, p. 3). Teenage is the most crucial and problematic age and there is higher chance for the individual to commit crime, so the court must consider the age and circumstance of the accused. The increasing number of knife crimes among teenagers in UK has caused shock and alarm to the British contemporary society. Comparison among the knife crime cases reveals the depth of crime in the society. As Adam Fresco, a crime correspondent in 'The Times' reports knife crimes have replaced terrorism as the major threat that haunts the police force in UK. As a result of the high rate of increase in knife crimes in the nation, special measures were undertaken by the police to tackle the issue. One of the remarkable steps undertaken by the Metropolitan Police in this regard is the Operation Blunt 2. It is "a high-profile initiative to tackle knife crime that involved taking airport-style metal detectors and using special powers to search youths for knives within high-risk areas." (Fresco 2008). The Operation proved to be highly effective as it arrested 1,200 people and seized 500 knives. The report also pinpoints the role and assistance of the community to tackle knife crimes. Walter Allimadi in his article entitled "Knife Crimes Soar in London" depicts the pitiable sight after a school day in the capital of the city: "a dedicated teaching staff would fragment the group of kids and usher them in different directions while community wardens and police personnel keep a watching brief in-case of dissent". He shows how London marked five knifings and four deaths within 24 hours and elaborates the case study of Yusuf Miiro, 20, who came from Uganda to UK to study criminology at Middlesex University and ended up as a victim to the knife crimes in Britain. He was stabbed several times by the offenders and was found dead outside his girlfriend's residence. The irony of his murder is that Yusuf came to England to fight crimes in Britain. His intention and the formidable status quo that prevails in the nation are made clear by his local guardian Fatima Kabasinguzi when she cries: "Yusuf would hear about teenagers murdering each other and he wanted to help stop the killing-but he ended up being killed. Everyday there seems to be a murder. They are killing innocent kids." (Allimadi 2008). Here, Gaby Hinsliff points out about the punishment: "People who carry knives will face prison sentences of up to three months, after a last minute U-turn on controversial guidance to magistrates." (Hinsliff 2008). It is revealed that carrying a weapon for self defense is not considered as a crime. Elizabeth Stewart reports that "The fatal stabbing of a man yesterday in one of London's busiest shopping streets in broad daylight has again thrown up headlines about knife crime in Britain" (Stewart 2008), and it points out the urgent attention that is to be given to knife crime cases. Again another case reported by Scott McAngus, "The father of a young man stabbed to death in the street today said Scots politicians needed a dose of reality following new proposals to license the sale of knives" (McAngus 2008). reveals that no one is safe in a public place. There are several reasons that make the children commit crimes, and the most important one is the feeling of insecurity and isolation that they feel in their families and in the society. The psychiatric problems that affect children and teenagers must be understood as a threat to the mental health of the future citizens. But by comparing the problem of UK to other countries, one can understand that the children are not much spoiled. But the problem of alienation and insecurity that the children face attracts them to the gangs who use these children for anti-social works. The teenagers show the tendency to form their own gangs and groups to exhibit their power and strength. When they form gangs, the tendency to act against the well established laws and orders of the society is increased and some antisocial acts are committed to prove that they are matured enough to challenge the laws. When an individual is injured by a knife attack, all the blame is set upon the person who is accused as the culprit. But only some parents show the emotional stability to look at the incident from a third personal viewpoint. The situation thickens when the culprit suffers from alienation as the person is blamed and isolated. The parents of the victim consider their son/daughter as blameless and there is little chance to find out the real problem and the solution for the same. The chance to transform the darker side of the personality of the victim is closed for ever. Moreover, the victim's parents consider that the parents of the accused must be blamed. For example, this is true because an individual studies a lot about socialization from his/her own family. The family is considered as the basic unit of society and it can play the most important role for the character formation of an individual. If an individual is taught in a family to respect others, he/she will not show the tendency to attack others. But to bind the child with care and protection of family will not be helpful for the proper character formation and socialization. Each and every child must be provided with opportunity to mingle with other members of the society. Parents must be cautious and must give guidelines for friendship formation. Moreover, the parents must provide the trust for the child that he/she can have the right and closeness to expose his/her feelings. In some schools metal detectors are used to tackle the knife culture and some other schools use CCTV systems to tackle the same. All these measures taken The children shows tendency to imitate the elders and consider heroes as their role models, unfortunately this role models happen to be fake. Earlier, teachers, national leaders, etc were considered as role models, but now the importance and focus is vested upon heroes who possess anti social values. So the government, agencies and organisations that work for the development of society must give due importance to value added education. The existing laws can tackle the problem of knife crime and the culprits must be punished seriously so as to pose an example for the punishment that awaits all who involve in knife crime activities. The News papers and periodicals can play important roles in the war against knife crime. But such news reported by Sudan tribune like "Unknown assailants kill 6 civilians in Darfur-August 6, 2008 (NEW YORK) - unknown armed men ambushed a civilian convoy in southern Darfur killing six people and wounded 28 others, The United Nations reported. The convoy composed of seven vehicles was attacked last Monday by unknown men on camels, suspected to be Janjaweed militia" (Latest Articles on War in Darfur: Unknown Assailants Kill 6 Civilians in Darfur. 2008). may cause negative influence upon the readers especially children. So whatever may be the reason of knife crimes, it is sure that it affects the whole society. The victim and the accused may have to go through a period of long term trauma. This mental torture will result in behavioural change in individuals and may cause depression. But the public consciousness about the seriousness of knife crime is helpful to tackle the situation in a more effective way. People feel that knife crime is out of control, and urgent tough action must be taken to tackle it. The reasons that make the children to commit crime are closely related to the family. The role of the parents, other family members and friends is crucial for the behaviour formation of an individual. By summing up, it is to be pointed out that the laws, law enforcements and the community may change and reduce knife crimes. Bibliography HUME, Mick. (2008). Why Knife Crime Cuts us to the Quick. [online]. Spiked. Last accessed 8August 2008 at: http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/5196/ Forsythe, W. J. 1990. Penal Discipline, Reformatory Projects and the English Prison Commission 1895-1939. England: Exeter: University of Exeter Press, p. 45. Morgan, Rod., and Evans, Malcolm D. 1998. Preventing Torture: A Study of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Publisher: Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. x. Wood, J. Carter. 2004. Violence and Crime in Nineteenth-Century England: The Shadow of Our Refinement. New York: Routledge, p. 3. FRESCO, Adam. (2008). Knife Crime to Replace Terror as Police Priority. [online]. Times Online. Last accessed 8 August 2008 at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4269818.ece ALLIMADI, Walter. (2008). Knife Crimes Soar in London. Last accessed 8 August 2008 at: http://www.blackstarnews.com/c=122&a=4697 HINSLIFF, Gaby. (2008). U-Turn as Magistrates Told to Jail Knife Carriers. [online]. Guardian.co.uk. Last accessed 8 August 2008 at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/aug/03/knifecrime.ukcrime STEWART, Elizabeth. (2008). Knife Crime 'Not Increasing'. [online]. Guardian.co.uk. Last accessed 8 August 2008 at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/may/13/ukcrime.boris McAGNUS, Scott. (2008). Knife Crackdown 'No Use in The Real World'. [online]. News.Scotsman.com. Last accessed 8 August 2008 at: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Knife-crackdown-no-use-in.4366900.jp Latest Articles on War in Darfur: Unknown Assailants Kill 6 Civilians in Darfur. (2008). [online]. Sudan Tribune. Last accessed 8 August 2008 at: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.phpmot26 Read More