A Life for a Knife

"15 YEAR OLD STABBED TO DEATH BY SCHOOL BOY GANG!"

"TWO FATAL STABBINGS IN AS MANY WEEKS"

"FATAL STABBING OF TEENAGER IN LEWISHAM"

I'd love to say these kind of headlines are rare but they are all too common. What are we doing so wrong that human life is held so cheap by teenagers and young men? I'm a full believer in equality but even I have to face the very real fact that most (note the word most) stabbings are carried out by teenage boys or young men.

I read the article from the second headline just this morning. These stabbings took place literally down the road from the Infant School I work in. One of them outside a chip shop on a main road where the victim (a tourist) was left to bleed to death on the pavement and the other near a Council estate full of young families. One young mum was quoted as being "scared for her life and scared for her children after all the recent violence". And these are just the stories that are considered newsworthy. I'm sure there are far more tragic events occurring daily but we just don't hear about them. But for that young mum and thousands of people like her that is the grim reality. I know I'm not alone when I gasp in horror and then head back to my cosy home, to read the Guardian and decide which bottle of Pinot to open for the evening dinner. I can escape but others are not so lucky.

And I can't even begin to imagine how the families of the victims feel. Losing a loved one is a traumatic thing that you never fully recover from, but to know that your child, brother, cousin, nephew, grandson was attacked and actually killed by another human being must be indescribable. How on earth can you possibly move on from that? How can you hope to deal with the anger and hate that must fill you? And who do you direct that hate towards - another child? Someone elses son? Another disaffected teenager who probably had no idea of the implications of carrying a blade?

People are very quick to cast the blame. As a teacher I've lost track of the times we've been blamed for the downfall of everything in this nation. And yes some schools have failed children. But we have to remember that a child will spend most of their time with their parents and family. Or in many cases with childminders. Britain has the longest working hours in the EU. Families can quite literally go for weeks without spending any quality time together. Cost of living is through the roof and parents often pass like ships in the night as one comes in and the other goes out just to make ends meet. And that's in the families where there are two parents around. Single parents deserve our applause. Nobody chooses to bring up children by themselves. Who on earth would? It's the hardest job in the world. But circumstances are often beyond their control.

I don't know what the answer is but surely something can be done. My brother is a Youth Worker and the work he has done with the teenagers on his patch is amazing. He never condemns their choices, never puts their decisions down. Instead, he listens and then offers them alternatives. And for some of these young people it has been a life changing alternative. An alternative that's got them off the streets and doing something purposeful. Another friend of mine now employs some of the 'youth' who used to attend his Youth Clubs. What an accolade. He's given these young people something purposeful and more importantly given them a job where they can continue to spread the word. There is so much more to life than just hanging around a street corner stabbing one another but someone has to show them the opportunities that are within their reach.

This is where the government should be investing. But of course, with the economy the way it is, Youth Services are often the first things to go. The managers of the big banks can fight all they like for their 6 figure bonus but the real fighting is happening on the street and at a much greater price. But these people drive out to leafy suburbia and often don't see the need for Youth Services (well until the disaffected 'youths' are vandalising their BMW's or Mercs!).

And now I'm going to do something I never thought I would do, I'm going to finish my blog with a quote from Whitney Houston! She has made her fair share of mistakes and some truly awful music along the way but this quote sums it all up (in my opinion). So take it away Whitney...

"We believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way".

And if we do it right, the streets can only become a safer place, something everyone should be striving for.