The rise of knife crime is a story of poverty, austerity and social deprivation. SIR – Many mongrels are indeed a delight (Comment, August 23). SIR – To reduce the number of “ghost patients” on GPs’ books, why doesn’t the admirable “Tell Us Once” service, which informs many government departments of a person’s death, include the NHS? They don't always show the truth about gangs...nor, the destruction they can cause. They found that single parenthood does reduce the well-being of children. The figures for single-parent families show a rosier picture among other races. 6)  Stick to your rules...avoid appearance of double standards. Knowing the Law and talking to your child about the dangers can help keep them safe. You can help your child make the right choice. The number of killings in London this year has reached 100, Riot police look on as protesters gather in Chemnitz, Germany, Originally bred for hunting rats, badgers and fox, the Welsh terrier is now under threat, A parcel needs to be in good order before it can set out, Letters: The Covid response is being stifled by an unimaginative bureaucracy. SIR  – I am one of the churchgoers at the church of St Philip and St James in Cheltenham, which is soon to have its pews removed as part of its refurbishment (Letters, August 29). Tamar Heller, in International Review of Research in Mental Retardation, 1997. SIR – You refer to Henry Tudor defeating Richard III at Bosworth. For decades, the share of U.S. children living with a single parent has been rising, accompanied by a decline in marriage rates and a rise in births outside of marriage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. Keep a look out! This video content is no longer available, To watch The Telegraph's latest video content please visit, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Often images on the TV, in the movies and the media tend to glorify drugs, sex and violence as an acceptable lifestyle. However, we should also spare a thought for threatened British breeds: for example the wonderful Welsh terrier, reputedly the oldest known breed in Britain. 2)  Teach them how to cope with peer pressure...how to deal with conflicts without the use of violence. Despite numerous warnings that cuts of over 20 per cent – now nearing 35 per cent – would have serious consequences, she continued with them. This gave the police the power to stop and search suspects. This is NOT a good option! Children of single parents miss that setup. It’s been a bloody start to the New Year in the capital. Media attention has raised the awareness to the issues surrounding 'Knives', but it is up to us to do something about the mind-set and future understanding about 'keeping safe'...to arm our young people correctly, with the right information to help them make the right choices! It is well established that two-parent families generally provide more emotional resources to children than single-parent families (e.g., [5, 6]). Keep a look out! We need to address it as a matter of urgency. 4)  ALWAYS...report someone you 'know' or 'suspect' is carrying a knife! Try to avoid situations and/or people that scare or bully...and REPORT IT! Many were washed up at Skegness, covered in ships’ oil, which kept the sea from penetrating the skin. In 2017 two thirds of knife crime offenders under 25 in London were black or minority ethnic, according to the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime. Two thirds of all children murdered, are murdered by their mother. Many young people will not recognise themselves as being in a 'gang'...but in a group! However, most groups of friends do not commit crime. The likelihood of living with a single parent family increases with the child’s age: 12.1% of children younger than 1 year of age were living in a single parent family, and 87.1% were living with their mother. 6. 3)  Help your child to understand that success require effort. The Conservatives gave up the mantle of the party of law and order in 2010 when Theresa May became home secretary and embarked on a series of budget cuts and police reforms based on political dogma rather than reasonable evidence. - Download Information leaflet - click here, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, SOME USEFUL ADVICE TO DISCUSS...when speaking to you child about Safety:-. 3)  Talk about the danger and consequences of 'gang' involvement. SIR – Tony Sewell (Comment, August 29) is to be congratulated for raising the politically sensitive issue of single parenthood, overwhelmingly single mothers, in the black community and its links to knife crime. This has now been acknowledged by Iain Duncan Smith, who has called for “intensifying” use of stop and search. 5)  Encourange your child to take part in positive after school activities. Parent, Grandparents and extended Family Members...you can play a vital role in stopping 'Knife Crime' becoming a part of your young people's lives.Knowing the Law and talking to your child about the dangers can help keep them safe. It could save a life...tell a trusted adult, parent, teacher or anonymously to Crimestoppers. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future. 4)  Get involved in your chil's school activities, if you can spare time. crime. As the extant literature suggests that children raised in single-parent households experience more physical and psychological problems compared to those raised in two-parent households, the implications of homes in which fathers are absent may be important to explore for … sins of the fathers Single mum insists absent dads DO cause knife crime and ruin kids’ lives Asha Mohammed-Lee, 47, from South Norwood, told how her kids’ dad … Many Parents are very concerned about their children's 'safety'...at School, at play and when going out socially. However, that is compensated with certain strengths of single parenting. Accusations are made of “populism”, but proponents of European integration cannot grasp that individuals, such as those in Italy who wish to run their own economy and political system, and regard being in the euro as being in a German prison, are so frustrated that they can be persuaded to move from national democratic aspirations to extremism. Keeping your Child safe from 'Knife Crime!' 2)  NEVER...think that you can talk to the person carrying a weapon to persuade them not to use it! Site hosted by Datapartners. Mrs May also threatened to pass primary legislation to force a reduction in the use of stop and search if the numbers were not reduced, despite being warned that it was imperative for police to use that preventive tool to help curb the rising incidents of knife crime. 6)  If your child is being bullied or feeling threatened by someone they think is carrying a knife...NEVER be tempted to carry even in the belief it will protect them...most children who carry knives, say it because they are scared. While most of these changes are reversible, the last one is not. What should I tell my child about Knife Crime?...This can be a tricky conversation, but here's more handy points you can raise with your child:  www.2smart.co.uk/knives/parents.htm. And according to a 2009 report from the US Census Bureau, there are approximately 13.7 million single parents across the U.S., with single mothers outpacing single fathers five to one. Abstract: The Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency reports that the most reliable indicator of violent crime in a community is the proportion of fatherless families. In a meeting at the White House, Ballard (1995), 1)  Being confronted by somebody armed with a knife...WALK AWAY, and ensure there's plenty of distance! Why are so many young men from single parent families involved in knife crime? SIR – I was interested in the report of fruit washed ashore in Shetland (“Pineapples galore for islanders”, August 28). Those who work with gangs often talk about young men from single-parent families finding role model figures in gang ‘elders’, who are able to then lure them into a life of crime. At the aggregate or community level, the concentration of SFFs in some communities may be too low to impact youth crime. We really recommend you look at 'The Honesty Lab' a really great way to engage the rest of the family with views on 'What is dishonest, dishonourable and immoral behaviour'...it is fun and a real way to 'Have Your Say' on this amazing issue! The reality is that being in a gang puts your child more at risk of offending, using or dealing drugs or ending up in prison or worse...becoming a victim of violence and possibly an early death. The battle was thus between two pretenders to the throne: Henry Tudor (Earl of Richmond) and Richard Plantagenet (Duke of York). We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism. 4)  Teach them that 'rights' come with 'responsibilities'. Society tolerates so many spurious variations on what constitutes the “family” that we have lost the essential perspective of the importance of the male role. Parent Support SMS Text Messaging is here: +44(0)779 780 0031. There's lots more information on the 'Children & Young People' Section (of this website)...to help engage young people in all aspects that will effect their future lives. 1)  Be a positive role model; remember children learn from what they see and experience. How knife crime is affecting families in one south London neighbourhood. Strengths Of Single Parenting: An ideal family setup for a child involves both the mother and father. While in 2016/2017 London as a whole saw a 24% increase in knife crime, it was poorest boroughs which bore the brunt of this rise (with Southwark seeing a 46% increase, Lambeth a 51% increase and Croydon a 103% increase). The alterations originally proposed are extensive, including the addition of an atrium containing a lift to the added first floor, the creation of glass pods on the ground in the side aisles and above each as a first floor, the addition of a glass screen between the Memorial Chapel and the chancel, a raised floor, insertion of underfloor heating and changes to the crypt, as well as removal of all of the pews, each of which has a unique and intricately carved panel at each end. Today we see all sorts of single parent families: headed by mothers, fathers, and even by a grandparent raising their grandchildren. Children and Young People face all sorts of pressure to follow friends, who may have been recruited by a gang! In 2019, in the UK, 14.9% of families or 2.9 million families, were single-parent families. You can play an important role in stopping Knife Crime becoming part of your child's life...Safety first - Second - Always...where Knives are concerned! SIR – The threat of a car-testing track at the site of the Battle of Bosworth – now thankfully scotched – reveals the short-sightedness of Historic England in 2015 in dispensing with its long-standing battlefields panel of historians and archaeologists. Today, nearly 25 million children have an absentee father. Kay Hymowitz. Knife crime image copyright PA Media A lack of male role models is a key factor behind the increase in knife crime and gang violence, a senior police officer has suggested. SIR – This can’t be true, but whenever Parliament is on holiday, things seem to run a whole lot smoother. These animals are brave, uncomplaining, independent, funny and intelligent. It is not only true in Germany; it is endemic throughout large swathes of the EU. Rather than belittling the views of objectors, she gives them due deference and considers that “letters received from parishioners are heartfelt and thoughtful”, while “objectors have provided balanced objections”. 32% of families with children in the UK have been a single parent at some point. In this definition, single-parent families may include cohabiting couples and do not include children living with married stepparents. Conclusion A very real connection between delinquent behavior, and single parent families in particular mother-only families, produce more delinquent children than two parent families. Alert to growing apprehension about the state of the American family during his 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter had promised a conference on the subject. Today single parent families have become even more common than the so-called "nuclear family" consisting of a mother, father and children. Children in single parent families are likely to have been exposed to a great deal of crime promoting influence such as parental conflict and abuse. With so many parents telling me that their go-to advice for their kids, if hit, is to hit back harder, the logical extension when it comes to knife crime is terrifying. The evidence, however, does not show that family disruption is the principal cause of high school failure, poverty, and delinquency. Even if you live in a leafy suburb 'fear of crime' can still effect young people...it is paramount that as they grow and mature into young adults they understand how to 'stay safe' when they travel to large towns, cities or even Abroad. This loss of love and guidance at the intimate levels of marriage and family has broad social consequences for children and for the wider community. U.S. Census Bureau (2009) reported that 39% of single-parent families live in poverty. Therefore, legally, the reign of Edward V ran until the accession of Henry Tudor as Henry VII. Battlefields are not like listed buildings but they need specialist input. Poverty may be a significant factor relating to crime among single-parents and their children. SIR – Tony Sewell is right. As I predicted in the early Nineties, when I wrote Against a Federal Europe and Brave New Europe, and have repeated since, the reason for the rise of the far Right is because of the democratic vacuum created by the ideological drive for political union and the undemocratic law-making procedure of the European Union. WHAT YOU CAN DO...There are things you can do to help prevent your child from being involved in the first place. In its bumbling way and with far-reaching political consequences, the executive branch also offered warm greetings to the single-parent family. Those petitioning for the reordering have yet to provide evidence to the contrary. There is no yapping or moulting. Through Brexit, Britain has – in the nick of time – responsibly set an example of how to achieve national self-government without extremism. 6)  Know your child's friends and their families. About 28 percent of children of all races lived with a single parent in 2006. Hilary J Saxby Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. It made me very popular. Involve youself in your child's life in a positive way: 1)  Talk to you child - keep reminding him/her that they can raise any issues of concern with you. While 19 percent of all children drop out of high school, the dropout rate for children in two-parent families is 13 percent. Much of the information contained on this resource will also be of interest to parents and teachers. But stabbings are on the rise. The 'respect' they feel they are given is only an illusion. If there is one person that  your son or daughter will listen to...it's you! SIR – Allison Pearson writes that the “lack of law and order in a Conservative Britain is criminal” (Features, August 29). A new Pew Research Center study of 130 countries and territories shows that the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent households.. Many were locked up because of knife crime violence. There's lots more information to be uploaded on this page soon...including a new Text Messaging service for all concerned parents to make contact and receive advice. Sometimes there might be obvious reasons for you to think your child may be carrying a knife...such as a knife going missing from the kitchen! Parent, Grandparents and extended Family Members...you can play a vital role in stopping 'Knife Crime' becoming a part of your young people's lives. This the Battlefields Trust can provide pro bono. However, this is a relatively small symptom of a much larger problem. Addressing an audience of families of victims of knife crime, charities, the Met Police and those from the education, faith, health and community sectors, at a youth club in Bermondsey, the Mayor will set out the complex causes of violence. 1) According to the professional literature, the absence of the father is the single most important cause of poverty. My mother sent a box to my school boarding house, as no one had ever tasted one. Kowaleski-Jones (2002) also found that children who live in single-parent or cohabitating families show higher signs of delinquency than those who live in intact and noncohabitating families. The Real, Complex Connection Between Single-Parent Families and Crime. Homicide rates were higher in the early 2000s than they are today. 2) The same is true for crime. This study examined if family structure affects childhood delinquency. This panel once had statutory status. Lorne Macadam, 30 My entry explores the devastation and heartbreak knife crime in London is causing to the victims/perpetrators and their families. SIR – Why just blame the Prime Minister for the rise in crime? The real cause of knife crime is the lack of a dominant male father in the family. For more information about the Law - visit:  www.direct.gov.uk/gangs, Copyright ©KnifeCrimes.Org 2020 Children from single-parent families are more likely to have behavioral problems because they tend to lack economic security and adequate time with parents. This is a big issue which society has largely ignored because it is difficult to solve as well being politically sensitive. Most knife-wielding young killers in London have absent fathers, Tottenham MP David Lammy said today. Just after the war, a ship sank in the North Sea with a cargo of grapefruit. Ask about resources to help you organise a 'Safety Event'. C Changing Structure of the Family. 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