Safeguarding Resources
Rashford class had Countylines training by Derbyshire police, March 2023.
Knife Crime talk made us all think carefully about being safe
Year 6 children had a talk about Knife Crime from PCSO Bowlzer June 2019
The facts
Statistics taken from the Office for National Statistics show that, in the year ending March 2018, there were around 40,100 offences involving a sharp instrument – this is up 16 percent from 2016/2017. Of all the incidents involving children aged 10-15, the highest proportion of incidents happened in or around schools.
Furthermore, 53 percent of incidents of violent crime committed against victims aged 10-15 were committed by someone that the victim knew well – the perpetrator was a pupil at the victim’s school 72 percent of the time.
These figures outline the very real threat that is posed to school-aged pupils. This article, created in collaboration with Jane Commins, who is a Police Youth Engagement Officer at Macclesfield Local Policing Unit, will help schools to understand how to react to an incident involving an offensive weapon, including a knife, in schools.
Definitions
To implement effective management procedures, it is vital that you understand the definitions below. These definitions were provided to us by Jane.
Offensive weapons: these are articles made, adapted or intended to cause injury to another person. It is an offence for someone without lawful authority or a reasonable excuse, e.g. use at work, to carry an offensive weapon. Offensive weapons could include a butterfly knife, piece of wood with nails in it or a cricket bat.
Made, adapted, intended: this refers to weapons that are made, adapted or intended to do physical or mental harm. Using the examples given above can help to explain this phrase:
- A butterfly knife is made to cause harm.
- A piece of wood with nails in it is adapted to cause harm.
- A cricket bat can be intended to cause harm – this is perhaps the most complex aspect of the phrase. Context is often important with regards to intent. For example, a person is carrying a cricket bat, but they’re at a cricket game – they are unlikely to be intending harm. If, however, they were carrying a cricket bat at night and had no other sporting equipment, it is likely that they are intending to cause harm. Intent has to be proven by the police.
Knives: as far as knives go, there is a big difference between a butter knife and a butterfly knife. When creating school procedures, it is important to be clear on this distinction, as a butterfly knife is far more likely to be an offensive weapon that is intended to do harm.
Produced and not produced: this refers to when a person has an offensive weapon on their person and whether they use or threaten someone with it, or if it remains away. Producing a knife is a serious offence and the police should be called immediately. For a weapon that has not been produced, and depending on the context, a school may be able to work with the pupil and help them.