Knife Crime in Northern Schools: Early Intervention Starts With Education
10/04/2025
Knife crime in Northern England’s schools remains a serious and growing concern, with rising incidents threatening the safety and well-being of both pupils and staff.
Tackling this issue demands early intervention through education. Many are now calling for the curriculum to be updated, urging that PSHE lessons include information on serious youth violence, including knife crime.
To understand the scale of the problem, we submitted Freedom of Information requests to police forces across Northern England. The data we received offers a stark view of knife-related incidents taking place in schools and reinforces why education reform is urgently needed.
Knife Crime in Northern Schools between September 2021 - September 2024
Between September 2021 and September 2024, Northern schools reported alarming rates of knife-related incidents, including possession, threats, and attacks. Shockingly, the youngest reported age for those involved is just seven years old, highlighting the early onset of this troubling issue.
Although the overall number of school knife crime cases saw a slight decline from September 2021 - September 2022 to September 2022 - September 2023, the issue remains far from resolved.
West Yorkshire reported a total of 222 knife crimes during this period
Over the three year period, school knife crime across North England posed a significant challenge, with West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire emerging as the most affected regions. These areas reported the highest rates of knife-related incidents, including possession, threats, and violent attacks, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty within school communities.
Image: Map of school knife crime in the UK
Children as young as 7 years old have been involved in knife-related incidents
One of the most disturbing aspects of knife crime in schools is the age of those involved. While the majority of offenders fall within the 10–16-year-old range, some incidents have shockingly involved children as young as seven. This raises urgent questions about how and why such young children are drawn into knife-related activity.
Many factors contribute to this troubling trend, including exposure to violence at home or in the community, peer pressure, and the normalisation of knife carrying as a form of protection. In some cases, young offenders are manipulated by older individuals, including gang members, who exploit their vulnerability.
Positive Progress: A Decline Since 2021
Despite these alarming statistics, there is a silver lining, as knife crime in schools seems to have decreased slightly since September 2021 - September 2022.
Why Early Education Is Key to Preventing Youth Violence and Knife Crime
Making Schools Safe Again
Methodology:
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