The facts, the law, and how to stay safe
KS3 · The Safeguard Hub · Press F11 for full screen, scroll for next slide
Write down one word you think of when you hear "knife crime".
No names. We'll come back to your word at the end.
Most people your age have never carried a knife.
It can feel like everyone carries. They don't. The people who talk about it most online are usually the furthest from the reality.
No. A knife turns an argument into a tragedy.
It can be taken from you and used against you. People who carry are more likely to be seriously hurt themselves, not less.
Carrying a blade in public without good reason: up to 4 years in prison.
"Protection" is never a good reason. "I forgot it was in my bag" is not a defence. Selling a knife to anyone under 18 is a crime.
Apprenticeships withdrawn. College places lost. Some countries, including the USA, can refuse you entry.
One decision at 13 can still be following you at 25.
When someone older offers you money to hold a knife or a package, they are not doing you a favour.
They are making sure the risk and the record belong to you, not them. That is exploitation, and it has a name: county lines.
Fear is normal, and it deserves a real answer.
Stick with friends. Change routes. Walk away early. And tell an adult you trust that you are frightened. That is what actually makes you safer.
If your friend is carrying, the person most likely to be hurt by that knife is your friend.
Telling someone is not snitching. It is how you keep them alive.
999 in an emergency.
Childline 0800 1111, free and confidential. Fearless.org, pass information 100% anonymously. Or any trusted adult in school, today.
Look back at the word you wrote at the start.
Would you choose a different one now?