Educators pack

Resources to educate young people on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife.

In the pack

1. Real life experiences
2. The facts
3. Quiz
4. Lesson plan

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1. Real life experiences

These videos discuss the real-life experiences of knife crime victims and their families in South Wales.

Learning objectives

These videos will help young people understand:

• the consequences of knife crime
• the knock-on effects of knife crime and how it impacts family and friends
• how situations can quickly escalate out of control
• the dangers of carrying a knife.

Important information

The content of these videos is highly emotive. Please use your professional judgement to decide the suitability of this resource for those in your setting.

Discussion points

• What is the impact on family and friends following each knife crime incident?
• What do the people in the videos want you to know about carrying a knife?
• Were those who carried a knife safer because of this?
• What could have been done to prevent knife crime?
• How can you report an incident completely anonymously?

Parent of a knife-crime victim

In August 2019, Emma’s son Harry was stabbed to death in Barry Docks. He was 17 years old.

Download video transcript: English / Welsh

Victim of knife crime

Wes got involved in drugs as a teenager and started carrying a knife for protection. One night, on the train home from an out-of-area delivery, he noticed three boys were following him. They chased him, cornered him, and stabbed him.

A few days later, after life-saving surgery, he woke in hospital to the distraught and terrified faces of his grandparents.

Download video transcript: English / Welsh

Victim of knife crime

Dai was in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction when he was called to a flat in Swansea to lend someone money. It was a set-up. As he left the building, four people were waiting for him outside the lift on the ground floor. They were looking for drugs.

For 14 minutes, they choked him, beat him, and stabbed him.

Download video transcript: English / Welsh

2. The facts

What the law says

• It is illegal to carry a knife without good reason, unless it has a manual folding blade less than 7.62 centimetres long.
• If you are found carrying a knife, you could spend up to four years in prison.
• Carrying a knife could leave you with a criminal record.
• It is illegal to carry a lock knife in public without a good reason. These have blades that can be locked by pressing a button. This can include multitool knives that contain other devices like a can opener or screwdriver.
• Certain types of knives are completely banned in the UK, even if you keep them in your home. These include butterfly knives, zombie knives, disguised knives, and flick knives.
• Police have the power to stop and search anyone they believe is carrying a weapon.

What’s classed as a ‘good reason’ to carry a knife?

If you are found to be carrying a knife, a court will decide whether you have a ‘good reason’. This could be:

• you’re taking it to use at work
• you’re taking it to be used in theatre, film, or tv
• you’re taking it to a gallery or museum to be displayed.

What’s classed as a weapon?

It is illegal to carry an offensive weapon in a public place without good reason.

An offensive weapon is any object that has been made or adapted to cause injury. Just because something doesn’t have a blade or a point, it can still be classed as an offensive weapon. This is not just knives but also:

• knuckledusters
• blow pipes or blowguns
• truncheons
• death stars or shuriken
• footclaws.

The truth about carrying a knife

• By carrying a knife, you are more likely to get injured or stabbed yourself.
• Situations involving weapons can quickly get out of control.
• Not all young people who carry weapons intend to use them. But if a young person carries a weapon and gets into an argument, the situation is more likely to get out of control and a knife is more likely to be used by someone involved.
• A criminal record can stop you being accepted into a college or university, getting a job you want, or travelling to some countries, like the USA, Canada, or Australia. Even if you carry a fake gun, other people – including the Police – will respond the same way regardless of whether it proves to be real or not.
• Lots of places now use screening technology to detect weapons. If you are found to be carrying a knife or gun, you will be arrested and prosecuted.

3. Quiz

Working through these questions can help improve understanding on knife crime and the consequences of carrying a knife.

Questions

1. How many years can you get in prison for carrying a knife? One, two or four?
2. True or false: Owning certain martial arts weapons is illegal
3. True or false: Handing in an illegal weapon to the police will always get you in trouble.
4. True or false: Carrying a knife will protect me, even though I don’t plan on using it.
5. True or false: Most people my age carry a knife, so I need to carry one too.
6. True or false: I won’t get into trouble if I carry a knife, only if I use it.

Answers

1. Four. You can be given up to four years in prison for carrying a knife, even if you don’t use it.
2. True. Owning certain weapons such as shuriken, death stars, butterfly knives, curved swords and more, even in your private home, is now illegal under the Offensive Weapons Act 2019.
3. False. South Wales Police hold knife amnesties regularly, where you can surrender your weapons safely and without consequence. You will not get into trouble for doing this. Details on the next amnesty can be found on the South Wales Police website.
4. False. Carrying a knife makes you more likely to be hurt yourself.
5. False. Only one in 100 young people carry a knife. Don’t be the one.
6. False. Police have the power to stop and search anyone they believe is carrying a weapon. If you are found carrying a knife, you will be arrested and prosecuted, and could face up to four years in prison.