Epidemiology of knife carrying among young British men

Jeremy Coid,Junmei Hu,Yamin Zhang,Paul Bebbington,Yingzhe Zhang,Lindsay Thomson,Kamaldeep Bhui

doi:10.1007/s00127-021-02031-x

Abstract

PurposeKnife carrying has caused considerable public concern in the UK. But little is known of the epidemiology and characteristics of men who carry knives. We investigated associations with socioeconomic deprivation, area-level factors, and psychiatric morbidity.MethodsCross-sectional surveys of 5005 British men, 18–34 years, oversampling Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) men, lower social grades, and in London Borough of Hackney and Glasgow East. Participants completed questionnaires covering violent behaviour and psychiatric morbidity using standardised self-report instruments. Socioeconomic deprivation measured at small area level.ResultsPrevalence of knife carrying was 5.5% (4.8–6.9) and similar among white and BME subgroups. However, prevalence was twice the national rate in Glasgow East, and four times higher among Black men in Hackney, both areas with high levels of background violence and gang activity. Knife carrying was associated with multiple social problems, attitudes encouraging violence, and psychiatric morbidity, including antisocial personality disorder (AOR 9.94 95% CI 7.28–13.56), drug dependence (AOR 2.96 95% CI 1.90–4.66), and paranoid ideation (AOR 6.05 95% CI 4.47–8.19). There was no evidence of a linear relationship with socioeconomic deprivation.ConclusionMen who carry knives represent an important public health problem with high levels of health service use. It is not solely a criminal justice issue. Rates are increased in areas where street gangs are active. Contact with the criminal justice system provides opportunity for targeted violence prevention interventions involving engagement with integrated psychiatric, substance misuse, and criminal justice agencies.

Highlights

Firearms account for the majority of intentional deaths in young men worldwide, mainly due to their accessibility
The British Medical Association has called for knife crime to be tackled as a public health concern [1] and politicians have proposed that healthcare professionals be legally responsible for identifying and reporting perpetrators of knife crime [2]
The aims of this paper were to investigate (1) prevalence of young British men who carry knives and associations of knife carrying with demographic factors, including ethnicity, socioeconomic status, area-level effects, and specific geographical locations known to be associated with high levels of violence and gang activity, (2) associations between carrying knives and attitudes towards violence, (3) associations with psychiatric morbidity

Summary

Introduction

Firearms account for the majority of intentional deaths in young men worldwide, mainly due to their accessibility. In the UK, knife crime accounts for more deaths than firearms, because firearm accessibility has been strictly and successfully controlled. Use and carrying of knives by young people is perceived as a growing problem in the UK. The British Medical Association has called for knife crime to be tackled as a public health concern [1] and politicians have proposed that healthcare professionals be legally responsible for identifying and reporting perpetrators of knife crime [2]. Disproportionate media reporting of a “violence epidemic” may have overestimated the increase in violence [3]. Serious violence, including murder, declined internationally over the past 2 decades [4].

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