‘The fear of being harmed, is greater than the fear of being caught.’
“We hear this time and time again from some of the young people who engage with Khulisa’s programmes in schools, in the community and in prisons. I can relate to this feeling, to the surprise of many readers, I have my own experience of carrying a knife for protection” Damian Castello – Director of Delivery at Khulisa
When I was 17 and a student at college, I had a fight with a boy who I knew from college. It started as many altercations do, at bus station and over something trivial….’Yo! Why you jumping in front of me? I’ll fight you, you know!’ he thought I’d deliberately jumped the queue. The reality was far less sinister, I’d seen a friend who was first in line and went to talk to him. I hasten to add that at this point, there were only 3 people in the queue waiting for the bus to arrive. My pride got the better of me, his words were like a red flag to a bull. I refused to back down and although I came out on top, it didn’t feel much like a victory. Instead of elation, I was left gripped with fear, following the threat he made after the fight…… ‘Watch what’s going to happen to you!’ I took the threat very seriously and thinking back now, the emotional impact of the threat was so great that his words completely occupied my thoughts. As the day progressed my concentration in class lapsed more , the feelings of dread crept in I couldn’t shake the fear of the impending reprisal.
That evening, seeking advice, I went to my friend’s house and told him what had happened. He asked me if I wanted to borrow his knife. At that moment, time stood and a montage of potential outcomes flooded through my mind; my parents finding the knife, being caught in possession by teachers or the police and worst case scenario- using it. After weighing up the risks, I reluctantly accepted the offer. I was willing to risk being caught as I believed at the time that there was no other alternative. To cut the story short, I returned the knife to my friend after two stressed filled days of carrying it in my possession.
Thankfully, my situation ended with a positive outcome but, it could so easily have gone the other way. How many young people have carried a knife for protection only to end up with a negative outcome? How many young people have the ability to make the right choice in this critical moment? A moment that could mark the end of their life, or the lives of others?
Is fear enough of a reason?
Carrying a knife is not a recognised or acceptable form of self-defence but, many young people feel that they have no other alternative. Statistics show that we are living in an increasingly violent society and many young people are living in a heightened state of alert, which can have an impact on their decision making, their consequential thinking and even their mental health.
There have been a lot of debates recently about whether music genres, such as Drill, are responsible for the increase in knife crime. The focus should not be on who or what is to blame, but close attention paid to the clear picture the artists paint of their day to day reality and their experience of society. What would make a more a fruitful debate would be to explore the underlying issues and root causes of knife crime.
What is the solution?
This problem cannot be solved by statutory and non-statutory organisations working in silo. There needs to be a greater collaborative approach, with all the stakeholders in society working together to support our young people. This is why we were so proud to be one of three charities, selected by BCBN for our work in preventing and reducing youth violence. The gala, held at the JW Marriott on Park Lane on the 10th September, was attended by over 650 guests from the private, public and social sectors. Business leaders and politicians publically shared their support for our work, agreeing to leave party politics and personal agendas to one side, and join forces to tackle this issue together.
Education is the key to reducing crime. We need interventions which focus on the social and emotional wellbeing of young people, such as the programmes we deliver at Khulisa, to run alongside more traditional academic subjects. On our programmes, young people are provided with a safe, non-judgemental, respectful and empathic environment, where they can explore the underlying issues and root causes of their behaviour. Young people learn how to articulate and regulate their emotions as well conflict resolution skills, which show them that there are other alternatives to violence.
What can you do to help?
Recently, Khulisa partnered with Channel 4 News presenter, Jon Snow to raise funds for our behaviour change programme, Face It. This programme is proven to dramatically improve a child’s emotional wellbeing, their confidence and motivation. As a result, 98% of our participants improve their behaviour in school, they re-engage in their learning and successfully steer them away from being caught up in violence and crime in their community.
You can help us by making a donation to Khulisa and sharing what you’ve read here, with friends and family.
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