Making Sense of Senseless Knife Crime

Knife crime in England and Wales rose to record levels in 2017-18, including 285 fatal stabbings — the highest number since Home Office records began in 1946. According to the Office for National Statistics, victims and perpetrators were most likely to be men aged 16-24.

Much ink has been spilled in the last year about the reasons for escalating violence. James Densley, criminologist who has studied serious youth violence for over a decade, shares some hypotheses that might shed light on rising knife crime and possible avenues for intervention.

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