A series of violent attacks involving teenagers has reignited the debate over knife crime.
The Harry Potter actor Robert Knox, 18, was stabbed in Sidcup in the early hours of Sunday morning, becoming the 14th teenager killed in London this year, and the problem is not confined to the capital.
This is certainly not the first time that the issue of young people carrying - and using - knives has hit the headlines, but a glut of high-profile murders in a relatively short space of time has heightened fears of a "knife culture".
British Crime Survey statistics tell us that violent crime has fallen dramatically over the past decade. Knife crime is also down significantly on 1995, but has risen in recent years. However, under-16s are currently excluded from the survey, even though they appear to be a significant group when it comes to those vulnerable to - and culpable for - knife crime.
The Metropolitan police recently launched a high-profile anti-knife TV campaign, featuring some very strange images.
We often hear that the "fear of crime" is increasing as the rate of crime is decreasing. Has an age-old problem been exaggerated by media headlines or is this a frightening new development that makes you fear for your safety?
Have you ever carried a knife? Do you know anyone who has? If so, why?
.png?w=600)
