Fact finding working group to find route cause of knife crime to prevent it
From "Custom House and Canning Town Community Assemblies"
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Young black men are at risk of being killed which negatively impacts the whole community. Young people cannot thrive in a community when they walk around in fear of their lives.
Connecting with kids before the age they are likely to commit knife crime or become a victim of it will help us understand why it happens and therefore put together an action plan of how to tackle it.
We can get the youth to take ownership of the problem by getting them involved in the action group.
Involve families of knife crime perpetrators as well as victims to allow kids to see that which ever end of the knife you are on your family is affected forever.
Find ways to occupy the youth and allow them to see success as bigger than instant gratification for example stealing what someone else has, more satisfaction comes from working towards goals.
Put together an age appropriate conflict resolution course to offer other ways to solve issues with others.
Make a space to hash out issues like a 'Beef Chops bench' which is a neutral space where issues can be talked over/resolved.
Have a youth rep for each area that meet weekly to bring up any issues youth from that area are having with each other and find ways of resolving it.
Get the youth to design a community bandana that represents the whole of canning town to show unity to the whole area rather than different areas having their own 'colours'.
A frustration outlet to channel anger and foster constructive discipline like a community boxing ring, martial arts.
Youth club/hub