KNIVES, GANGS AND VIOLENCE

Question 1

instrumental aggression

Answer 1

• found in humans + animals
• ‘cold’
• premeditated (usually used as a means to and end)

Question 2

hostile aggression

Answer 2

• found in humans only

- ‘hot’

Question 3

impulsive/stimulus seeking violence

Answer 3

• found in humans only

- motivated by desire to hurt someone

Question 4

Intent?

Answer 4

• harm that occurs by accident (with not intent) is not violence

Question 5

violence against the person

Answer 5

• wound/cause grievous bodily harm
• section 18 - wounding with intent
• section 20 - wounding without intent

Question 6

what may indicate intent in violent crimes?

Answer 6

• use of knife
• use of other offensive weapons
• glass/bottle smashed and used to assault
• indication of pre-planning
• words spoken by assailant

Question 7

key points about gangs

Answer 7

• no 2 are the same
• spontaneous, unplanned origins
• engagement in face-to-face meetings and expressive behaviours
• defensive territorial environments
• common beliefs and traditions
• movement through space + engagement in conflict
• police
• other rival gangs

Question 8

UK Home Office Report (2002) - Manchester

Answer 8

• 60% of shootings gang related
• gang membership is lifestyle choice not just about criminality
• membership a mix of same-age local friendship groups, blood relatives + recruits
• carrying of firearms: part protective/part symbolic but also used in crimes sometimes

Question 9

Smithson + Ralphs (2015)

Answer 9

• uk research on gangs minimal
• home office reluctant to use gang terminology
• ‘delinquent youth groups’
• youth activity now reframed as gang activity which leads to higher surveillance and higher sense of risk

Question 10

bennett and holloway (2004)

Answer 10

15-25k gang members

Question 11

centre for social justice (2009)

Answer 11

50k gang members

Question 12

stone (2018)

Answer 12

• concern about young people’s attraction to knives as weapons
• can be addressed through supply regulation and restriction, education and health initiatives, role mode influence and modification to blade design

Question 13

flatley (2010)

Answer 13

knives taken to be involved in an incident if they are used to stab or cut, or as a threat

Question 14

rising knife crime stats

Answer 14

• crime figures for the 12 months up until march 2017 showed an 18% rise in violent crime + 20% rise in gun/knife crime
• increased in use of bladed weapons in 2016

Question 15

straw et al (2018)

Answer 15

• admission to hospitals with stabbing injuries at highest for 7 years
• shift towards younger victims

Question 16

ITV News (2019)

Answer 16

• theresa may says there’s not correlation between a fall in front line police officers and the spike in fatal stabbings
• several senior police officers dispute prime minister’s claims

Question 17

Davies (2019) - Telegraph

Answer 17

In London in march there were 6 stabbing sin 6 hours starting at 3:20pm

Question 18

bifurcation (wilson, 2001)

Answer 18

• prison should be reserved for criminals who pose a threat to community
• others should have community based punishments

Question 19

situational crime prevention

Answer 19

• increasing formal surveillance
• electronic alarms
• CCTV
• private security patrols
• neighbourhood watch

Question 20

increasing natural surveillance

Answer 20

• removing obstacles to line of sight
• improving street lighting
• crowding shown to be related to levels of urban crime

Question 21

zero tolerance approaches

Answer 21

punitive sentencing for possession of a night

Question 22

problem orientated policing

Answer 22

responses to young people that identify and address their issues

Question 23

Turner (2019) - The Guardian

Answer 23

• police officers in schools to double in response to knife crime epidemic
• right now –> 420 officers in schools (up from 280 18 months ago)
• goal is 600 in schools

Question 24

living in gang areas

Answer 24

• restricted use of space due to gang rivalries
• results in exclusion, marginalisation and victimisation
• strong gang associations –> difficult for young people to avoid association with gang members

Question 25

ending gang and youth violence report goals

Answer 25

• making gang injunctions available for 14-17 year olds

- mandatory life sentences for second serious offence

Question 26

ending gang and youth violence report - one year on

Answer 26

• made gang injunctions available for under 18s
• introduced new offences of threatening with a knife in a public space/school
• announced intention to introduce new offence of possessing firearms with intent to supply
• dedicated £1.2 million to fund support workers for girls vulnerable to/suffering from gang related sexual violence

Question 27

serious violence strategy

Answer 27

• tackling county lines and misuse of drugs
• early intervention/prevention
• supporting communities and partnerships
• effective law enforcement and criminal justice response
• early intervention and prevention focused on steering young people away from crime and putting in place measures to tackle root causes
• £11 million investment over 2 years
• are social issues being addressed?

Question 28

BMJ

Answer 28

• calls for public health approach
• public health has role in identifying risk and protective factors
• life course approach to violence prevention is useful –> through early years family support, home visits, training in parenting skills and youth support programmes

Question 29

responses

Answer 29

• improve life chances
• investment in education, health and welfare (Gunter, 2018)
• engage with young people and their communities

Question 30

Squire (2009)

Answer 30

• real social problems?
• knife crime always been an issue
• gang involvement may increase knife crime
• coverage of knife crime reproduces fears about youth violence