More than 80% of young people in the UK are not convinced plans to make it harder to buy knives will reduce crime, new research has found.
A survey of 1,030 people in the UK aged 16-24 found that 83% of respondents were concerned about the levels of youth violence in the country, while 46% said either they or someone they knew had been directly affected by the issue.
Some 83% of those questioned said that, despite legislation aimed at making purchasing knives more difficult, they believed young people would find alternative ways to buy them, while 72% said the law focused on the symptoms rather than the causes of knife crime.
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.
The research, which questioned a nationally representative sample of people and was conducted by the Kiyan Prince Foundation and Savanta, also found that 71% viewed knife crime as a societal issue, as well as a criminal one, while 66% believed too much emphasis is placed on the violence itself, rather than its root causes.
To address knife crime, 76% of those questioned called for greater investment in local mental health services, sport and social clubs, while 77% wanted greater employment opportunities.
The release of the research coincides with the start of Knife Crime Awareness Week, and the 19th anniversary of the death of Kiyan Prince, a footballer for Queens Park Rangers’ youth team.
Kiyan, 15, was fatally stabbed when he intervened in a fight outside his school.
His father, Mark Prince, the founder and chief executive of the Kiyan Prince Foundation, 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.”
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 announced by the Government, 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.
The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
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