Children as young as 11 are carrying knives because they feel unsafe in England

A report has found that a large number of children – some as young as 11 years old – are carrying knives because they feel unsafe in their communities.

According to a joint study by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HMI Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HMI Probation, children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at disproportionate risk of serious youth violence.

The report lays out findings from six targeted area inspections – which looked at how local services responded when young people are affected by youth violence.

The inspections tracked the experiences of hundreds of children in Leeds, Coventry, Somerset, Manchester, Merton and Lancashire between September 2023 to May 2024.

The results found that serious youth violence is very far reaching and that entire communities are affected by it.

Inspectors were alarmed at how many children and professionals told them how common it was for children as young as 11 to carry a knife.

Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said: “It’s very disturbing that children as young as 11 feel they need to carry a knife for their own protection.”

He added: “Knife crime is blighting the lives of too many children in England. It’s a national scandal.”

The report concluded that the violence disproportionately affects young people with SEND, particularly those who are neurodivergent.

It has called on local agencies and the Government to prioritise the needs of these youngsters at the most risk of harm.

The report also asked partnerships to make it a goal to reduce the overrepresentation of black and other ethnic minority children affected by violence in their area.

This is particularly due to the fact that black children were found to be more likely to be “adultified.”

The document warned: “Delays across England in assessing children’s needs in relation to Send are putting these children at greater risk of harm”

While some partnerships were found to be doing effective work to combat this issue, the report acknowledged that this was not the case for all areas.

Certain professionals were unaware of the harmful effects caused as a result of their response to vulnerable children, such as victim blaming.

Michelle Skeer, of His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary, said: “The effects of serious youth violence on both children and communities are deeply concerning.

She added: “It is vital that police forces intervene at the earliest opportunity to disrupt the risk to children and young people.”