A child or young person appearing in court on a knife crime related charge will be an all too familiar scene for many magistrates. However, what remains largely invisible but forms an integral part of the picture is the complex circumstances that have led that individual to stand in front of them.
This underlines a simple truth: prevention must begin when vulnerability first appears, and everyone has a part to play in recognising that. But knife-related offences are usually the end point of a much longer journey, and to understand how to prevent these cases, we must understand what happens before a young person ever enters a courtroom.
Complex circumstances
Through the delivery of our exploitation services, including the national County Lines Support Service, we see young people so often face the same factors putting them at risk of carrying weapons and becoming involved in violent crime. School exclusion, unaddressed mental health needs, poverty, trauma, and difficult family relationships are just some of those risk factors that leave someone vulnerable to exploitation. These children cannot be separated from the circumstances that make them so vulnerable to being targeted by adults looking to exploit them.
Knife possession, for many, is not about aggression – but fear, pressure, or survival, with many children exploited by those seeking criminal gain. By the time a case reaches court, the young person has often been navigating risk for months or years. Prosecution is not an effective long-term solution to pull children and young people out of cycles of harm. Through hospital-based youth work in a service like Redthread, we support young people who might be victims of knife crime and carriers of knives themselves. Our frontline delivery tells us those who do face prison time can be returning to the exact same circumstances when they have served the time handed to them, creating an environment where cycles of harm and exploitation thrive.
Disparity of support
We also witness a real disparity in the amount of support young people are receiving before and after a court date, be this from family or the postcode lottery of what is available to them locally. It’s a sad reality that in some cases, there is no consistent support at all. While youth workers may provide essential support for them during court, they are also being advised by solicitors who have different levels of experience and training on working with young people. This lack of understanding can create mistrust and increases long-term risk for a young person.
Drawing the Line
Our Drawing the Line campaign has been calling for the proper safeguarding of victims who are so often criminalised when they shouldn’t be. Those who may be perceived as perpetrators are often victims of exploitation and have experienced a level of harm many of us would find difficult to imagine. Children and young people risk having their futures devastated by the misunderstanding that they cannot be victims if they are seen to be perpetuating harm too, but situations are so rarely that clear cut, nor the distinction between victims and perpetrators so simple.
We know prevention cannot be a substitute for justice, instead acting as a complement to it, but it is nevertheless vital. It serves to reduce the number of young people who carry a knife by addressing and acknowledging what has led to it. The earlier risk is identified, the more aligned services can be, and with support from the courts, prevention is possible and an effective strategy to draw a line under exploitation and secure the futures of so many children and young people.
Collaborative approach
For this to be possible, there must be alignment and understanding between communities, services, and courts. That’s why our Drawing the Line campaign is also calling for increased alignment between local and national bodies, to ensure there are clear pathways for support. A young person appearing in front of a magistrate is overwhelmingly likely to have been in contact with statutory agencies before they go on to offend. A joined-up approach between schools, youth services, police, health and mental health provision, and local authorities and courts is essential, and magistrates are therefore a vital part of the wider picture.
Conclusion
The line we draw cannot begin at the point of charge; it must be drawn far earlier; at the moment vulnerability first becomes visible. Magistrates occupy a uniquely important position not only at the point of judicial decision-making, but as part of a wider safeguarding system. By recognising the indicators of exploitation and the context behind knife-related offending, the court can play a vital role in reinforcing protection for vulnerable young people.
Ultimately, preventing harm is a shared responsibility. No single agency, service, or court can address this alone. A truly effective response depends on a common purpose across communities, frontline services, and the justice system working together to identify risk early, intervene, and support young people before they reach crisis point. When we draw the line earlier, we reduce harm, improve outcomes, and ensure fewer young people stand before the bench in the first place.
