‘Gangs are successful because they provide members with a sense of belonging and purpose.’

A teenage visit prompted Tony D’Souza to do some thinking about knife crime

‘Gangs also offer members a particular kind of camaraderie.’ | Photo: Reza Hasannia / Unsplash.

Recently I had to advise my teenage nephew that it was safer to stay indoors after dark. A young boy of colour, he was visiting from Australia and was staying briefly in a deprived part of London. I told him not to go out at night because of the danger of being a victim of knife crime. This is reality for many teenagers today.

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