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Young people who carry knives will be made to visit hospitals where stabbing victims are treated, to try to shock them into changing their behaviour, the home secretary has announced. Will this help to reduce knife crime?
Jacqui Smith said seeing "gruesome" injuries would be a "tougher" deterrent than simply sending all knife carriers to prison.
The announcement follows a recent spate of fatal stabbings.
Mrs Smith's proposals will see young people caught carrying knives being made to go to accident and emergency wards, to see for themselves the consequences of stabbings.
She said she hoped it would bring home the implications of this type of violence.
Have you been a victim of knife crime? Can these plans reduce knife crime? Have you recently stopped carrying a knife because of coverage of the issue? Have you been put off doing something through shock tactics?
That is laughable imo, most street kids that carry knives will not care less and will most likely have seen worse anyway. They will probably enjoy the visit and think of it as being 'sick', in a positive way. If anything it will only further the 'better him than me' attitude and make them want to carry knives more in an attempt to prevent themselves from being in that position.
How very unfeeling for the victim's family: 'Excuse me, can we just bring a bunch of juvenile criminals into this ward because we want them to stare at your son bleeding to death?'
Silly idea.
If i was in hospital i wouldnt want some screwed up chav visiting me.
There's only one way to stop these people and that's fear. Prison is a joke EVEN if they get there. Bring back the electric chair they'll soon stop.
Fear is the reason most of them live the lifestyles they do, humans are more inclined to react to fear by fighting back than backing down, especially the type we are talking about. The death penalty will do nothing, most of them put their lives in danger anyway by being involved in the types of lifestyles that they do so its not like they are afraid of death.
The tactics which do not work are saying stuff like 'you could get a x month prison sentence'. These people do not think they are going to be caught, therefore aren't afraid of the consequences of their actions. They think they're too tough to be the victim in a fight. The only way they'll learn is if this killing culture is itself killed out.
I think that if they saw a friend badly beaten up and killed then they would be more motivated to harm those who attacked them, not prevent them.
Fear is the reason most of them live the lifestyles they do, humans are more inclined to react to fear by fighting back then backing down, especially the type we are talking about. The death penalty will do nothing, most of them put their lives in danger anyway by being involved in the types of lifestyles that they do so its not like they are afraid of death.
errrrr no. I don't think you've ever met these people. Believe me, you have 5 foot 12 year olds completely convinced they could kick the crap out of a fully grown man.
These people pride themselves on being tough, PRIDE. they enjoy what they do, they don't do it because they're fighting back. I've been battered whilst they laugh, they love it. For most of them it's too late to become a decent person they're too far gone.
The problem isn't fear, they have none they think they're invincible, the problem is lack of fear. Trust me.
Fear is the reason most of them live the lifestyles they do, humans are more inclined to react to fear by fighting back than backing down, especially the type we are talking about. The death penalty will do nothing, most of them put their lives in danger anyway by being involved in the types of lifestyles that they do so its not like they are afraid of death.
It's sympathetic views like this that are the reason discapline has left our schools and households.
Young people who carry knives will be made to visit hospitals where stabbing victims are treated, to try to shock them into changing their behaviour, the home secretary has announced. Will this help to reduce knife crime?
Shock them into changing their behaviour? How? Do you not think youths who carry knives know what happens when people get stabbed?
errrrr no. I don't think you've ever met these people. Believe me, you have 5 foot 12 year olds completely convinced they could kick the crap out of a fully grown man.
These people pride themselves on being tough, PRIDE. they enjoy what they do, they don't do it because they're fighting back. I've been battered whilst they laugh, they love it. For most of them it's too late to become a decent person they're too far gone.
The problem isn't fear, they have none they think they're invincible, the problem is lack of fear. Trust me.
I live in Cheetham Hill, Manchester. I have been surrounded by these people my whole life and many people i know are involved in this type of lifestyle. The situation you are talking about comes afterwards, they put up the hard front in an effort to get people to fear them, they are fighting fear with fear. As you said, you was battered whilst they laugh, they were most likely a group who feel safer as a group. By fighting and acting hard they believe they are hard and less likely to be a victim and that makes them less fearful and feel more secure because they believe they can handle themselves and have a group to back them.
I agree that most are already lost. It's a difficult situation, i do believe that some how we have to get them whilst they are young and turn them away from this type of lifestyle. Sadly most of them are born into an environment were they are destined to end up like this and it is the norm.
One method of getting rapists to truly realise what they have done is to expose them to the people they have harmed and what effect it had on their lives etc.
Humans are more compassionate than we give them credit for.
In fact I think some of the ideas are good. Restorative justice has been proven to be very effective and promising in some parts of the world, for example amongst Maori people of New Zealand. See story here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...nt/2351101.stm
It is much more hopeful than punitive measures, in my opinion.
I live in Cheetham Hill, Manchester. I have been surrounded by these people my whole life and many people i know are involved in this type of lifestyle. The situation you are talking about comes afterwards, they put up the hard front in an effort to get people to fear them, they are fighting fear with fear. As you said, you was battered whilst they laugh, they were most likely a group who feel safer as a group. By fighting and acting hard they believe they are hard and less likely to be a victim and that makes them less fearful and feel more secure because they believe they can handle themselves and have a group to back them.
I agree that most are already lost. It's a difficult situation, i do believe that some how we have to get them whilst they are young and turn them away from this type of lifestyle. Sadly most of them are born into an environment were they are destined to end up like this and it is the norm.
I suspect my views are always going to be slightly bias and more harsh having been on the receiving end of these people. It wasn't just a one off i was targetted for being a scouser in the south to the point I couldn't socialise in my local bars anymore. I have had countless run ins and have even tried diplomacy with those I thought would listen, doesn't work it always goes to fists.
Thankfully even though they carried knives they never used them on me or anyone I know, I can only hope it was out of some kind of respect that I faught them fair and square on several occasions.
I suspect my views are always going to be slightly bias and more harsh having been on the receiving end of these people. It wasn't just a one off i was targetted for being a scouser in the south to the point I couldn't socialise in my local bars anymore. I have had countless run ins and have even tried diplomacy with those I thought would listen, doesn't work it always goes to fists.
Thankfully even though they carried knives they never used them on me or anyone I know, I can only hope it was out of some kind of respect that I faught them fair and square on several occasions.
After a certain point, as we said they end up too far gone. It's at that point where they lose any ability to care about anything such as someone trying to be diplomatic. Being an outsider obviously played a large part in your situation, as i said after a certain point they just become bully's and begin taking pleasuring in hurting people. Most are not that quick to resort to weapons, especially when not really needed i.e. in your case.
I've never actually been badly beaten up or jumped, though i know a lot of people around here and as i said an outsider is far more prone to be on the receiving end.
A few years ago I would have said bring back the death penalty, harsher sentences but now I dont think that way.
Here is the solution: A lot of kids should not be given a choice. I believe if you are under 18 and are not in school, you should either be work shadowing, learning a trade or in HM Forces. Being in the army, navy or airforce gives you a sense of solidarity, you belong somewhere you are part of a team fighting for a cause. There is discipline and boundaries which they lack at home.
There are some kids whose home lives are beyond human comprehension whose parents pay more attention to their illegally owned pit bull than to their sons. These kids go into the world and are angry. I believe that if they are under the age of 18 questions need to be asked about why they are carrying weapons, involved in gangs and a home visit needs to be made. Sometimes you will find a druggie violent parent who you cannot even speak to in a civil manner as once they see a uniform either social services/police etc they just attack
You do get some kids who can walk away from this environment and make their own responsible adult choices but there are many young people who are very impressionable (a lot of TSR users should understand this) and fall into the trap
The government made many mistakes years ago such as giving housing willy nilly to single mothers which caused many irresponsible ones to get pregnant, removing police from schools, giving too many decisions to young people etc However it is being rectified, many inner city schools have local police who visit, there is the Every Child Matters which hospitals/police/social services.... any public serving body who might or will come into contact with children is involved in
So the knife crime amongst youths will decrease but for some it will be too late
I think it is stupid. I could walk in a hospital and see a crash victim from a car accident. Wont stop me driving, i don't even know the person. I've had people come to my school and show picture of violent crime and tell people to stop...still doesn't effect me or anyone else. The only time people will generally get shocked is when it happens to someone they know or to themselves. But then most youth will want revenge. TBH i can't see this being taken seriously at all. If anything i can see this as glamorizing knife crime yet again.
The news of a new person killed by a knife. The statistics and league tables of where has the highest murder rate. Its like a game, newspapers and news are only helping to glamorize this style of life.
Well, the long term solution is for people to be brought up better. Pretty hard to enforce from a political perspective.
We've never had it so easy in this country and knives have been around for centuries, so while it has become the government's problem, it's not a problem they could have directly prevented. (although I think the problem is blown out of proportion anyway, a case of media hysteria and political posturing)
Talk about topical issues and give your opinions. Note: Threads in here are started by the Have Your Say bot. Members cannot start threads in here. If you wish to start a discussion in a similar vein to Have Your Say topics, please post your thread in General Discussion
Can shock tactics deter knife crime?
