Nearly half of all young people have been directly affected by knife crime, according to shock new research.
More than 80 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds are also not convinced plans making it harder to buy zombie blades and machetes will reduce crime.
Seven in ten believe the national approach to tackling youth violence over the past decade has failed.
The study was carried out by the Kiyan Prince Foundation, set up in memory of a murdered teenage footballer.
Kiyan, 15 - who played for Queens Park Rangers’ youth team - was fatally stabbed trying to break up a fight outside his north London school on May 18, 2006.
But almost two decades on, the charity’s data suggests little has changed.
As the Standard reported last month, almost a third of knife crime in England and Wales happens in London with an incident every 30 minutes, the Office for National Statistics found.
Of 1,030 youngsters surveyed by the Kiyan Prince Foundation and Savanta, 83 per cent remain concerned about levels of youth violence in the UK.
Despite legislation aimed at making purchasing knives more difficult, they believed young people would find alternative ways to buy them, while 46 per cent have been directly affected either as a victim or by knowing someone who is.
More than three quarters of respondents say the situation has worsened over the last five years.
Around 71 per cent view knife crime as a societal issue, as well as a criminal one, while two-thirds believe there is too much emphasis based on the violence itself, rather than the root causes.
They hope the recent change in government presents an opportunity to implement a public health approach, greater investment in local mental health services, sport, social clubs and employment opportunities.
Kiyan’s father Dr Mark Prince OBE has published five letters from the perspectives of youngsters affected by knife crime on the 19th anniversary of the killing, to spark debate about the need for new ways to combat the blade scourge.
Three unfinished letters, written in collaboration with the bereaved families of tragic Kiyan, aspiring musician Jonathan McMurray, 20, and Keelan Wong, 22 - who planned to start a business with his fiancée, highlight the agony of their shattered dreams.
Kiyan, nicknamed “The Bullet” by team-mates, boasts about “aiming to be the top scorer” and giving “it my all when I step on the pitch”. But his heartbreaking letter stops at: “This is a great club to play for and…”
However, two completed letters penned by Kane Woodrow, 22, and Kasper Johannessen who had their lives turned around by Dr Prince’s charity show how young people can be empowered “to lead the future they deserve”. Both carried knives in Tottenham for protection and Mr Johannessen was mugged on three occasions from the age of 14.
Speaking at the start of Knife Crime Awareness Week, Dr Prince said: “It is clear that the current approach to reducing youth violence is not working.
“Young people in this country face unprecedented challenges and we are not giving them adequate support.
“Without a coherent public health approach to this issue, it will not improve.
“The unfinished letters, including from my son Kiyan, have been published to show that every life lost to knife crime leaves behind an unfulfilled story, of hopes and dreams.
“The finished letters are a message of hope, to show that no matter your circumstances, you are valued and have a champion within you.
“It is never too late to choose the right path, we just need to give young people the tools and support to find it.”
The Government has announced a raft of measures to crack down on knife crime, including making retailers report bulk or suspicious sales to police, and increasing jail sentences to two years for selling weapons to children, or illegal blades such as zombie knives.
A review commissioned by the Home Office, published in February, found the lowest price offered by online retailers for a machete of more than 10in was £7.13, with most ranging between £20 and £40.
The report also looked at the “grey market”, where blades are bought in bulk and resold illegally on social media or face to face.
Under further measures, technology companies and individual executives will also face being collectively fined up to £70,000 each time a post relating to knife crime is not removed from their sites.
A ban on ninja swords will come into force by summer, meaning it will be illegal to possess, sell, make or import the weapon from August 1.
