Time to stop twisting the knife: a critical commentary on the rights and wrongs of criminal justice responses to problem youth in the UK

Abstract

This article considers the current context for, and criminal justice responses to knife-carrying and knife-crime amongst young people in the UK. It will be argued that although criminal justice responses play an important role in managing the problem, they do nothing to tackle the roots of the social malaise of which knife carrying and violent crime are symptomatic. Framed within the context of the erosion of young people's rights more generally, this paper calls for an approach to young people wherein the ‘best interests of the child’ are paramount in social policy initiatives to ensure that children and young people's human rights are protected. In short, the paper argues that we need social, not criminal justice solutions to the problem.

Keywords:

• marginalised youth
• children's rights
• recognition
• violent crime

Notes

^1. This paper will continue to employ the more potent concepts of ‘classism’ and ‘ageism’ to describe the situation facing marginalised young people, but it must also be recognised that racism is also complicit for minority ethnic youths who are particularly disadvantaged not least within the Criminal Justice System – see Coalition for Equality in the Criminal Justice System (2008)

^2. This is a high pitched device used to disperse young people because it is said to be heard only by persons under the age of 25 years. See, e.g., http://www.compoundsecurity.co.uk/