Karen Sullivan continues her focus on the reasons behind the knife crime epidemic among young people, and considers how the perpetrators are often victims as well

An interesting and anonymous column in the Guardian recently made some interesting points.

The author writes: “Children tell me what they get out of gang life: friendship, support and a way to achieve independence. All reasonable desires that most of us hold. When I ask how people might achieve those things without selling drugs or feuding, it’s really hard for them to find meaningful answers.” (Guardian, April 2018)

And a BBC investigation in June found that “gang members in the capital are experiencing levels of post-traumatic stress disorder equal to troops in a war zone”. It states that research by criminologists in London suggests “living with violence, abuse at home and drug use all lead to high levels of paranoia, anxiety and depression”.

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