00:00For many families, the impact of knife crime is devastating and lifelong.
00:05Now, National Research is offering a clearer picture of how and why children in England are dying from knife-related
00:11injuries.
00:12A study led by Bristol Medical School examined the deaths of 145 children and young people under 18 between April
00:192019 and March 2024.
00:22Using data from the National Child Mortality Database, alongside hospital, social care and police records,
00:28researchers identified patterns in these deaths.
00:31They found fatalities rose from 21 in 2019-20 to 36 in 2023-24.
00:39That equates to at least two school-aged children dying each month.
00:44According to the study, 90% of those who died were male with an average age of just over 14.
00:50Three quarters came from areas with the highest levels of poverty.
00:53The research also highlights stark inequalities.
00:56Around a third of those who died were black, and when adjusted for population,
01:00children of black or black British ethnicity were around 13 times more likely to die from knife injuries than white
01:07children.
01:08Researchers found adverse childhood experiences were common among young people with history of domestic violence and abuse the most frequent.
01:15A quarter of children lived with an adult with mental illness, and nearly a third lived in a household with
01:21substance abuse.
01:22Gang involvement was mentioned in a third of case files, and concerns about carrying knives were recorded in a quarter
01:28of cases.
01:29Dr Tom Roberts, lead author and an A&E clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, describes knife-related deaths among
01:36young people as a significant public health concern.
01:39He says the findings show an urgent need to better support children facing adversity and marginalisation.
01:45In many cases, warning signs were already present.
01:48Most victims had been known to statutory services before their deaths, yet researchers found many received no targeted support for
01:56issues such as domestic violence or abuse.
01:59Among the cases studied in detail, injuries to the chest and neck caused three quarters of deaths, and 60%
02:06died before reaching hospital.
02:08Two-thirds were killed by a single stab wound.
02:11A second study, led by the University of Bristol, looked more closely at 58 cases.
02:17It found every child had experienced some form of violence or harm during their lives, often across multiple settings, including
02:26home, school and their community.
02:30Dr Jade Lavelle, the study's lead author, says many children were both victims and perpetrators of violence,
02:37but services often focused on only one aspect of their experience.
02:41She adds that more joined-up interventions may have made a positive difference.
02:46Dr Ed Carlton, co-author and A&E clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust,
02:52says the findings underline how dangerous carrying a knife can be, with even a single wound proving fatal.
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