There is no one, easy solution for preventing violence in Scotland's communities. A wide range of factors can contribute to a knife crime incident, so it is important that a range of organisations are involved in tackling the problem.
Violence Reduction Unit
In Scotland, the police-led Violence Reduction Unit is a national centre of expertise for tackling all types of violent crime, including knife crime. As well as identifying and sharing good practice and providing support to police forces and local authorities, it delivers innovative pilots projects that have potential to have an impact on violence in Scotland.
One project the Violence Reduction Unit are involved in is improving the information available to the police in Lanarkshire about assaults. By collecting data at A&E departments about where, when and how people with injuries from assaults got hurt, analysts are able to identify places and times where assaults are happening, even if those involved don't want to report them to the police. This enables the police to have a much clearer picture of where trouble spots are, and target their resources more effectively to keep people safe.
Medics against Violence
The Violence Reduction Unit also supports Medics Against Violence, a charity set up by three Scottish surgeons which encourages medical professionals to be involved in work to prevent violence. It currently operates a schools programme which sees volunteer health care professionals deliver anti-violence lessons in schools. The lessons are targeted at S2 pupils, as they are designed to engage with pupils before they get involved in serious knife crime, but use some graphic images not suitable for younger pupils.
No Knives, Better Lives
Medics Against Violence are also involved in an award-winning Scottish Government initiative called No Knives, Better Lives. This innovative youth engagement initiative is challenging attitudes to knife carrying among young people in Scotland.
The first No Knives, Better Lives activity was piloted in Inverclyde, through partnership working with Inverclyde Council and local young people. An educational programme running in schools included hard-hitting workshops from victims, ex-offenders, professional sportsmen, medical professionals, and a play about the consequences of knife crime.
A series of cinema ads, posters, bus advertisements and pavement chalk stencils depicting the life-changing choice between 'knife or life' that young people may face were placed around the region.
Special events were held to engage and educate young people on the issue of knife crime, and No Knives, Better Lives campaign messages were threaded into existing diversionary activities.
As part of the No Knives, Better Lives Inverclyde evaluation, 75% of young people said they had seen or heard about knife crime messages.
Caitlin Herton (16) from Speak Up Inverclyde said: "Many of us know people who have been affected by knife crime and so we really want to do more to help tackle the problem in Inverclyde. The No Knives campaign is a chance for us to help raise awareness of knife crime and the problems it causes - for knife carriers as well as their families, friends and the local community. We're taking a stand to show that we want to make things better in our home towns, and we're asking our friends, families and people living here to do the same by pledging their support."
In support of the campaign, Councillor Robert Moran, Convener of Inverclyde Council's Safe, Sustainable Communities Committee said:
"This is yet another innovative and imaginative approach to getting the message across that carrying knives is unacceptable. We have to persuade young people that there are no winners when it comes to knife crime and getting them using their creative energies in a positive fashion can only helps get that message across."
No Knives, Better Lives activity was piloted in Inverclyde, and is now being rolled out across other areas of Scotland. Local groups are getting involved by holding consultations with young people to get their views on the issue of knife crime. They are also incorporating campaign messaging into their own diversionary activities in order to engage and educate young people on the issue and encourage them to say no to knives online at www.noknivesbetterlives.com.
Licensing Scheme
An additional measure to make it harder for knives to fall into the wrong hands is the Licensing Scheme for Knife Dealers. From 1 June 2010 all those who sell non-domestic knives will require a licence. Local licensing authorities can provide more details and, from 1 September 2009, will be receiving applications.