Knife crime deaths surge as at least ‘two school-aged children dying every month’

At least two school-age children die from stab wounds every month in England, with most deaths resulting from a single stab wound, according to a new national analysis.

This worrying trend sees knife-related deaths among under-17s rising from 21 in 2019/20 to 36 in 2023/24.

Coming in a month Independent He reported that even children as young as seven were taking knives to school.

More than 700 knife crimes, including threats and assaults, were recorded by police in schools in England and Wales last year, an investigation has found.

The findings emerge from two studies, one by researchers at Bristol Medical School, which looked at 145 children and young people aged under 18 who died from stab wounds in England between April 2019 and March 2024.

Data from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), hospital, social care and police records were analyzed to identify mitigation strategies.

90 percent of those disappeared were male and the average age was 14.4. A significant 75 percent (110 victims) came from areas with the highest levels of poverty.

About one-third (32 percent) of those who died were black and one-third (31 percent) were white.

On a population basis, young people of Black or Black British ethnicity were nearly 13 times more likely to die from knife-related injuries than White children.

Many child victims of knife-related deaths were also involved in legal services before their fatal injuries.

Of the 57 cases available for detailed analysis, injuries to the chest and neck caused death in 75%, and 60% died before reaching the hospital. Two-thirds of those who died suffered a single stab wound.

Researchers found that adverse childhood experiences were common among young people, with a history of domestic violence and abuse most common.

A quarter (24%) of children live with an adult with a mental illness, and almost a third (31%) live in a household with substance abuse.

Gang involvement was mentioned in a third of the case files, while concern about carrying a knife was noted in a quarter (25%) of cases.

Researchers said the findings showed that the group most at risk of suffering fatal stab wounds in England were young people of black ethnicity living in urban deprived areas.

Lead author Dr Tom Roberts, A&E clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “Knife-related deaths among children and young people are a significant public health problem.

“Our research identifies where action can be taken to prevent future tragedies and highlights the urgent need to support children facing adversity and exclusion.

“Despite frequent contact with services, many children have received no targeted support to address adverse childhood experiences, particularly domestic violence and abuse, revealing major gaps in early intervention.”

Co-author Dr Edd Carlton, A&E clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, added: “Our findings show how dangerous carrying a knife can be, with a single stab wound being fatal.

“It also highlights the urgent need for prevention strategies that address the social, environmental and structural factors behind these deaths.”

The second study examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 58 children under 18 who died from stab wounds in England between 2019 and 2024, and had detailed NCMD case files.

The investigation explored how and why these children died and the different types of violence they may have experienced at home, at school or in their communities.

The research found that 58 children who died had been exposed to some form of violence or harm during their lives.

Many were both victims and perpetrators in different settings (home, school, or community), but services often focused on only one aspect of their experience.

Lead author Dr. from the University of Bristol. Jade Levell said: “Our analysis shows that many of these children were exposed to various forms of violence at home, school and in the community before their early deaths.

“Although it is not possible to say with certainty whether a particular intervention will make a difference, it is reasonable to believe that appropriate interventions that recognize the extent of violence in the lives of some children, involving different areas of the home, school and society, can make a positive difference.”

– The first study, titled Pre-injury, injury and post-injury factors leading to death in children and young people who were victims of knife crime in England between 2019 and 2024: National Child Death Database review, was published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.

– The second study, Childhood violence in different, overlapping and simultaneous contexts: Points at multiple victimization, multiple violence and missed interventions among child stabbing deaths in England, was published in the journal Frontiers of Sociology.