Knife Crime Education in Schools: Moving Beyond the Assembly

Many schools in London have held knife crime assemblies. Some have hosted several. Most pastoral leads, if they are honest, know that the young people most likely to carry a weapon are often the ones least likely to be reached by these initiatives.

This observation is not a criticism of schools; rather, it highlights a structural problem. The evidence clearly identifies this issue, yet too much provision still fails to address it effectively.

Understanding the Reality of Knife Crime

The headlines surrounding knife crime can often be misleading. In the year ending March 2025, there were approximately 53,000 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales — a 1.2% decrease on the previous year and part of a broader declining trend since 2019. Knife crime is not an epidemic spiralling out of control; it is a serious and persistent issue that is, on balance, improving. However, this improvement is uneven and has devastating consequences for the communities where it remains concentrated.

The Metropolitan Police recorded the highest rate of knife offences of any force in England and Wales — 182 offences per 100,000 population in 2024/25. For schools in London, this statistic is not abstract; it reflects the reality their students face daily.

The Youth Endowment Fund's 2024 research on children who carry weapons provides crucial insights. Of 10 to 17-year-olds who reported carrying a weapon, only 55% felt very safe in their own home, compared to 84% of all young people in the same age group. Just 76% felt safe in school, versus 85% across the general population. Furthermore, 94% of those who had carried a weapon had been exposed to violent content on social media during the same period. More than 99% of children convicted of knife offences are for possession alone rather than using it for threatening purposes or for knife-enabled serious violence.

The young person carrying a knife typically does so because they feel unsafe, not because they are indifferent to risk or consequence. This distinction is critical for how schools respond.

The Flaws in Generic Knife Crime Education

The Youth Justice Board's August 2025 Knife Crime Evidence and Insights Pack is direct about the shortcomings of knife crime education programmes. Schools and commissioners should pay close attention to its findings.

The YJB's assessment of these programmes is blunt: there is "very weak evidence which is insufficient to establish their impact on violent crime." Moreover, it notes that such programmes can contribute to misconceptions about knife carrying and may increase the likelihood of a young person carrying a weapon out of fear for their safety.

Read that again: generic knife crime awareness sessions — the standard assembly, the visiting speaker, the statistics-and-consequences presentation — can make things worse. This occurs not through any failure of intent but because they amplify the perceived prevalence of carrying without addressing the fear and social pressure that drive it.

In contrast, the YJB rates social skills training as having strong evidence of high impact on violent crime, and mentoring as having moderate evidence of moderate impact. The interventions that work are relational, sustained, and targeted — not universal and one-off.

Race, Risk, and the Need for Honest Conversations

Any honest discussion of knife crime in schools must address race. This is not because carrying is defined by ethnicity, but because the data on who gets charged and counted is shaped by policing practices in ways that schools need to understand.

The YJB's data shows that Black children made up 14% of knife offences in the year ending 2024, despite representing only 6% of the general population. This disparity is explicitly attributed in part to much higher rates of stop and search targeting Black children, as well as greater social marginalisation, including economic deprivation.

The YEF's research on racial disproportionality supports this view. The overrepresentation of Black young people in knife crime statistics reflects policing patterns, deprivation, and social marginalisation, rather than solely behaviour. While Black children aged 10–17 make up 6% of the population, in 2023/24, they represented 15% of stop and searches and 24% of the monthly youth custody population.

Schools that implement knife crime provision without acknowledging this context — or that apply enhanced scrutiny and disciplinary responses to Black students based on statistics shaped by systemic bias — risk compounding the problem rather than addressing it. For schools in London, this consideration is not peripheral; it is central to responsible engagement with this issue.

Evidence-Based Approaches That Work

The YJB and the Youth Endowment Fund are clear about the conditions under which intervention can reduce knife crime involvement. The common thread is not merely information; it is relationship.

Addressing Underlying Needs

Young people who carry weapons are often responding to real or perceived threats to their safety. Factors such as exclusion from school, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and poor mental health are among the most consistent risk factors. These issues point toward welfare and relationship-based responses rather than criminal justice ones. A young person who feels safe — at school, at home, and in their community — is less likely to feel the need to carry a weapon.

Targeted Interventions

The YJB explicitly distinguishes between early prevention (for young people with no linked offence), targeted prevention (for those with some contact with criminal justice services), and diversion (for those with a linked offence). The provision that reaches each group needs to be calibrated accordingly. A universal assembly that does not differentiate between these groups is unlikely to meet the needs of those most at risk.

Sustained Engagement

A single session, no matter how well delivered, does not change the conditions that make carrying feel necessary. The young people most at risk need repeated, sustained engagement with trusted adults who consistently support them, rather than a one-off input and a leaflet.

Credible Mentoring

The YJB's evidence review supports mentoring as an impactful intervention for reducing violent crime. However, not all mentoring is equal. The most effective mentoring is delivered by individuals whom the young person can genuinely relate to — which, for the most at-risk young people, means someone whose life experience makes them credible, not just someone with a DBS check and a lanyard.

Where Pathways Comes In

Our knife crime awareness workshops do not lead with statistics or shock tactics. Instead, they focus on lived experiences — delivered by credible messengers who have navigated these situations personally and can communicate with young people in a relatable manner.

The workshops are designed to address the fear and social pressure that drive weapon carrying, not just the consequences of it. They are age-appropriate, interactive, and tailored to the specific cohort — recognising that a Year 9 group in Walthamstow faces different challenges than a Year 11 group in Hastings.

For young people who require more than a workshop, our one-to-one mentoring programmes provide the sustained, trusted relationships that the evidence consistently shows make a difference.

Conclusion

In conclusion, addressing knife crime in schools requires a nuanced understanding of the underlying factors that drive young people to carry weapons. By focusing on relationship-based interventions, targeted support, and credible mentoring, we can create safer environments for our youth. The Pathways Education Project CIC is committed to empowering young people across London and West Sussex, helping them navigate life's challenges and build brighter futures.

By engaging with our workshops and mentoring programmes, schools can play a vital role in this mission, ensuring that every young person feels safe and supported in their community.

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