Dismantling Knife Crime: Addressing Systemic Failures from the Ground Up

In my article for Fighting Knife Crime Magazine, I argue that knife crime cannot be treated in isolation, it is deeply rooted in systemic failure. Drawing on my work with Paradigm Project and my research at Cambridge, I explore how exclusion from school, chronic under-investment, racial bias, and reactive funding models all contribute to the conditions in which youth violence takes hold. Rather than doubling down on downstream interventions like policing, we must shift to upstream strategies: holistic support, community-led prevention, and long-term investment beyond short cycles.

I call on educators, policymakers, funders, and communities to reframe how we understand and respond to knife crime. It’s time to address the root causes, not just the symptoms.

Read the full article here: “Dismantling Knife Crime: Addressing Systemic Failures from the Ground Up” on Fighting Knife Crime Magazine