Knife Crime in Britain WORKSHEET A

Inside Out

Britain and knife crime worksheet A

Recently there have been a lot of articles in British newspapers about knife crime. The media interest follows an unusually high number of fatal stabbings involving teenagers, particularly in London, where so far in 2008 more than twenty teenagers have been killed by other young people in knife attacks. In some cases the victims were involved in disputes between gangs, but in others it seems they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, being stabbed during arguments that broke out spontaneously on the street. In a recent BBC documentary programme, the headteacher of a secondary school in England said that the number of pupils (mostly boys, but also some girls) caught with knives in his school has increased greatly in recent years.

The British government is certainly worried, which is why it recently recommended that sixteen and seventeen year olds who are found by police officers to be carrying knives should be prosecuted and taken to court – previously this could only happen to people aged eighteen and over. It has also recommended that young people caught with knives should be made to visit stabbing victims in hospital, in the hope that seeing the injuries knives can cause will shock them into changing their behaviour.

The problem probably has a number of different causes. In poorer areas of large British cities, where most knife crime takes place, some teenagers have said they carry knives in order to feel powerful or to get respect, while others have said they need the weapon as protection in case they themselves are threatened by someone carrying a knife.

However, it is still true that only a small minority of young people in Britain carry knives. In fact, it might even be true that the problem is not getting worse. The statistics do not paint a clear picture: for example, while the number of people prosecuted for carrying knives has increased in the last ten years, an important survey suggests the annual number of stabbings in Britain has been falling since the mid-1990s – although that survey does not include victims under the age of sixteen.

While the debate about knife crime continues, the big picture is that only a tiny percentage of people in Britain die in violent circumstances. Britain has a total population of around 60 million, and in nine out of the last ten years there have been fewer than 1,000 murders.

Britain and knife crime worksheet B

Exercise 1

Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F), or if the text doesn’t say (D).

1. It is normal for young people in Britain to carry knives.

2. The British media is interested in the subject of knife crime among young people.

3. Most knife crime in Britain takes place in large cities.

4. Most secondary schools in England have a problem with pupils carrying knives.

5. All the young people killed in knife attacks in London this year were involved in disputes between gangs.

6. Recently the number of fatal stabbings involving teenagers has been higher than normal.

7. In most of the last ten years there have been fewer than 1,000 murders in Britain.

8. It is clear that the problem of knife crime among young people is getting worse.

Exercise 2

Answer the questions below.

1. How many teenagers have been killed by other young people in knife attacks in London this year?

2. Why was the headteacher in the BBC documentary programme worried?

3. What does the British government think should happen to sixteen and seventeen year olds who are found by the police to be carrying knives?

4. Why does the British government think it might be a good idea to make young people who have been caught carrying knives visit stabbing victims in hospital?

5. The text mentions three reasons young people have given for carrying knives – what are they?

6. The text mentions a problem with the survey that suggests the annual number of stabbings in Britain has been falling. What is it?

Britain and knife crime worksheet C

Exercise 3

Decide whether the following excerpts from the text on Worksheet A are correct or incorrect. Then bet a minimum of 10 points up to a maximum of 50 on your choice.

Correct/
Incorrect / Points bet / Points lost / Points won
1 / ‘In some cases the victims were involved in disputes between gangs …’
2 / ‘… the headteacher of a secondary school in England …’
3 / ‘The problem probably has a number of different causes.’
4 / ‘In a recent BBC document programme …’
5 / ‘… some teenagers have said they carry knives in order to feel ‘powerful’ …’
6 / ‘The statistic do not paint a clear picture …’
7 / ‘Britain has total population of around 60 million …’
8 / ‘… only a tiny percentage of people in Britain die in violent circumstances.’
9 / ‘... only a small minory of young people in Britain carry knives.’
10 / ‘… arguments that broke spontaneously …’
Total points lost and won
Final total (subtract total points lost from total points won)

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