Life Or Knife

Warning Signs

If you’re concerned about your child or a young person carrying a knife, please look out for the warning signs below:

1. Have they become withdrawn from the family and/or school? 

2. Is their school or college reporting worrying changes in behaviour, academic achievement or attendance? 

3. Have they lost interest in positive activities such as sports clubs? 

4. Do they stay out unusually late without giving a reason and are vague about their whereabouts? 

5. Have they stopped seeing old friends and started hanging out with a new group? 

6. Are they secretive about the contents of their bag? 

7. Are they defensive if you ask what is in their possession or if they are hiding anything? 

8. Has their attitude changed about carrying knives/weapons? For example, justifying it by saying people carry them for self defence? 9. Have any items gone missing from the kitchen, tool box or garage? 

10. Have you found a weapon hidden amongst their possessions?

What can I do to protect my child? 

There are some simple ways to protect your child and your family from knife crime.

Start thinking about safely binning your unused knives. 

Most knives used in knife crime are kitchen knives, and keeping track or counting your knives could save a life. 

Keep up to date with your kids on social media. Online retailers run fewer checks. 

Keep tabs on your online shopping accounts for any suspicious purchases or packages. 

Get to know their friends and where they hang out. 

Take an interest in what they've been up to Create space for that conversation. 

See our top tips below: 

(L)isten to them and support them.

(I)dentify a time to chat comfortably.

(F)ind all your information on WMP online.

(E)xplore ways for them to step away from conflict.

(O)pen up about your fears.

(R)eassure them that most people don’t carry knives. 

(K)nives don’t give them protection. 

(N)ote that just carrying a knife can have a prison sentence.

(I)t’s braver and safer to walk away.

(F)ind the words to help them step away. 

(E)xplain they can report anonymously through ‘Fearless’.