The importance of young voices in tackling knife crime 

A new film highlights the need to include young people in work to reduce knife crime and serious violence.

Created by 15-year-old filmmaker Harvey, the documentary explores how organisations can work together to break the cycle of violence and includes an interview with the chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police, as well as other key professionals.

In Knife crime: A new way forward, the Bristol Futures Academy student explores the reasons why young people might carry knives and what support they need in order to have better life opportunities.

The documentary follows Harvey’s powerful film, The Cycle, which was one of four created as part of an innovative police youth engagement project and depicts the retaliatory nature of knife crime and the need to break the cycle of violence.

“What has become clear to me over the course of making this film is the more police really listen to and engage with young people in positive activities, the better these relationships are,” says Harvey.

“This project has given me a voice and a chance to learn; we need more. Young people living in deprived areas are the most at risk of getting caught up in knife crime. We are excluded from school and life in general – more than anyone else. If there is to be any chance of solving knife crime, we need to be included.”

Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “This film shows why we must never underestimate our young people. I have been interviewed by many professional journalists over the years, but Harvey’s interview was memorable because he wasn’t intimidated by my rank or role. He had questions he wanted answers to and I hope he has found the experience of making this important film a rewarding one.

“We are committed to working alongside all of our partners through the violence reduction units in a meaningful and sustained way to reduce serious youth violence. We will never police our way out of knife crime, but if we continue to engage with young people and listen to what they have to say, we will have a much better chance of reducing the devastating impact of serious violence on our communities.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens was also interviewed in the film.

She said: “This documentary shows that our young people are often wise beyond their years. I was thrilled to speak to Harvey and discuss why some young people might turn to knife crime, and how we can support them to make different choices.

“Police enforcement alone will never be enough to tackle knife crime. The violence reduction units that were set up last year are an example of how the police, health, education and third sector organisations can work collectively to support and engage with our young adults. We must continue such work to ensure young adults are free to enjoy life without the fear of challenging confrontations as a result of knife crime.”

The documentary features a music track called The Cycle, which was specially written to accompany the film.

Co-author of the track, Gh0$t, 26, said: “My main motivation for this track stems from my past. It actually drove me to write and work on this project because I felt I could relate to what these young people go through on a daily basis, but I also wanted to portray the message that you can still make a difference and become something that no one believed you could be.

“Working on this police project wasn’t as daunting as I thought it would be. I’m all for rooting for good causes and everything this project stands for. The production of the track went smoothly, there was lots of communication, professional input and creative ideas.”

Alex Howard, lead tutor at the Trinity Community Arts Centre in Bristol said: “I was really keen to be involved in this project from the outset. Using the topic of knife crime as a launch-pad to work with inspiring young people to create something positive is an amazingly rewarding experience.

“There are a lot of incredibly talented young people out there so it’s great to see projects like this one give them a platform to express themselves positively.”

You can watch Knife Crime: A new way forward here

Read more: Young people use power of film to tackle knife crime