On 14 March at around 4 pm a 16-year-old boy was stabbed on a bus in east London. He later died of his injuries in hospital. An 18-year-old was arrested and there have been two subsequent arrests. Police investigations are ongoing.
This incident is another sombre reminder of the horror of knife crime. The impact on families, friends and the local community is devastating. There are many reasons why young people say they choose to carry knives and sadly, they do not appear to consider or understand the implications that an often split-second act of violence can have for them and others.
It’s important to have open and frank dialogue with young people about knife crime and its consequences. We cover it at our events and there are many organisations that are working hard to try and turn the tide of violence and loss of life.
It can be difficult for parents to raise the topic with their own children, so if you have concerns and need help and advice or simply want to understand more about the issues there is lots of information online.
Here are a couple of websites you can visit as a starting point, or just type knife crime into your search engine.