Why do today's youth carry knifes...?

Question

... and want to MURDER everyone?

I'm only in my 20's and growing up there always were fights from time to time, but people wanted to hurt or teach each other a lesson, not murder or kill that person with the first blow. Mentality has changed so drastically, it really is scary and disgusting!

2 questions

1.) WHY do you think this has happened (music, computer games, society breakdown..etc)

2.) How to sort this mess out?

Personally IF we had the prison space I would give anyone carrying a knife without VERY strong reason a 12 month sentence FULL STOP. OK, people could still go back to fighting, but the risk of death to innocent (or not so innocent people) would be severely reduced and people might feel a little safer!

Whats your opinion?

Answer 1

I dont think the amount carrying them has gone up that drastically, its just getting more media attention now.

Not all youths carry knives you know. I'm 17 and I, none of my friends nor anyone of my age that I know is in possession of a knife. People generalise too  easily. I get so upset when I see old people crossing the street from me in the evening, or when people say oh well they're young so they must go out and hurt people for  fun or whatever. I think they'd find this only applied to a very small minority.

Life should mean life for murder and severe sentences for assault or possession of a knife. Bingo.

Answer 2

kids are not being disciplined as much as they used to. parents are letting kids pretty much do what they want. schools arnt allowed to discipline kids. i also think it is partly the games culture, they are allowed to play with guns and knives on playstation and xbox and its quite easy to get hold of a knife. it COULD also be a part of self defence, these kids feel they are scared in their envoirnment so they have to protect themselves. either reason it isnt their fault they wouldnt end up this way if it wasnt for lazy parenting

Answer 3

"The best war is a war without winners. Where all sides are brought to their knees and every family suffers loss, so that maybe there will be no next war."

I think that its not the mentality of people that has changed at all.  I think its the environment that forces us to act differently.  To your second question, "How to sort this mess out?" well to that I say this, "How do you get people to remember?"

Answer 4

Unfortunately it's a "He's carrying, so I'll carry" situation. "Stab or be stabbed"

It's similar to a bad estate. It only needs one bad family and the estate can be ruined. A knock on effect.

I once went out to some youths smashing the phone booth up outside. One said "You're gonna get shot, your families gonna get shot" and then did a gun sign to my house. So, I stamped on his head whilst his friends ran off. I then dragged him a few yards to my house and told him anything happens to this house or my family and i would shoot him. The next day he came round waving a white flag and told me he was "silly and his head was aching".  I don't agree with what I did but would do it again in a second.

Answer 5

.........mr. beckham should use his fame to do a tv ad or speech on this BIG problem

Answer 6

To find the answer I think you have to go back a very long time and look at society as a whole. A few reasons I can come up with which started the decline are:-

1 The banning of corporal punishment in schools.

2 Parents backing their children against the police when it is obvious that the child has done wrong.

3 The "do gooders" of the world teaching children their rights but forgetting to teach them their responsibilities.

4 With most families having both parents working to earn money for to-days abundance of luxuries children do not have the same home life. I'm not saying they are wrong it is just one more addition to the many reasons for the decay in to-days lifestyle.

I have only scratched the surface here and I'm sure others could come up with hundreds of other reasons and causes for changes in lifestyle, but we must all agree that knife crime is on the increase and loads more of to-days youngsters will die at the hands of other youngsters.

Answer 7

This is an interesting question.  It seems as people are more violent these days.  You may want to see the movie "Bowling for Columbine" and read the book "Generation Me", and the book "The Culture of Fear".

Answer 8

You must be British.  There's been a huge rise in stabbings in countries that have outlawed handguns like England and Japan.  If people want to hurt each other, they will find a way to do it.  But hey, at least the number of random shootings is at a minimum, right?

Answer 9

I am so sick of everyone thinking all teenagers are illiterate, knife carrying idiots! we aren't!!!!

Answer 10

It doesn't matter what's wrong in a person's own life (that forces them to carry knives, guns, chips on their shoulders, etc) it's always somebody else's fault.

It might even be my fault that the little hooded pr*cks around my local shops have "nothing to do" and are always getting pulled by the police due to the way they're behaving (usually suspiciously - vandalising or breaking into people's cars whilst they're in the shops, etc). It must be the fault of the police that they're acting suspiciously, I guess. Somebody else's fault again.

People who carry knives aren't doing so for self-defence, they're carrying status symbols and they're frightened to be different. They're soft cowards.

Maybe we should stick them out on their own in front of the Taliban in Afghanistan and see how big and brave they really are.  

Answer 11

I am also disturbed about the gun and knife culture not only in the UK but the rest of the Western world as well. Imagine being twenty minding ones own business on a transit bus in Western Canada and suddenly being attacked and beheaded. Witnesses said he was a quiet lad, but someone simply went mad and killed, then lobbed off his head with a huge knife.

The above aside, I am not sure if the police, psychologist, parents or anyone else can really know what is in the minds of the young who carry, other than those in the subculture itself. Like asking why CHAVS wear hoodies up on hot summer days.

You are absolutely correct, times have never been worse when it comes to violence, and other than taking into custody anyone caught doing a crime with a knife I am not sure what can be done. The prisons can't hold the lot who carry. And yes, some for protection.

Remarked me brother: An idiot carries fists to a knife fight or a knife to a shooting. So many seem ready to do murder at the drop of flag.

Sad thing, but it seems like our biggest and one time best cities are turning into urban war zones with innocents in the middle, police trying to sort after crimes happen, and everyone else wanting to sort it before things get worse overall.

I have studied psychology, sociology and human potential in uni for years (now about half way to my Ph.D. in behavioural medicine) and every day I am less sure of a solution to the violence.  

Answer 12

I think that the goverment should make prisons like they where before. Like a little cell with a few books. Not this fancy gym and luxury hotel stuff.

They carry knifes because they think they are cool. And because their mates do it, but the only reason their mates do it is because they do it. Weird huh?

It is soooo not cool to have a knife. I would never DATE someone with a criminal record.

Answer 13

So, everyone with a knife would go to jail? Well, let's think about this for a second. Would people intending on using their knives for crime hand in their knives? No, only some non-criminals would.

Ok, so let's say the govt searches people for knives. Now not to mention the extreme violation of everyone's privacy, this simply would not work, because criminals always find a way to get and hide illegal objects; drugs, weapons, everything!

So all the innocent people would have their knives taken away, some would possibly be put in jail, even though they did nothing wrong, and guess who's left with ALL the knives?

And now look what's happening to all the innocent people.

Answer 14

Kids carry knives cos other kids carry knives. Its daft but there we go. I agree with you. I'm 27 and I grew up in a relatively rough area, but we were never into knifing each other, or shooting each other, or going round in gang's beating up people purely for the sake of it. Its crazy. What goes through these kid's heads??

Anyways, The way its going we're gonna turn into a lawless state, kinda like the wild west used to be! I guess society does that eventually. It peaks and then falls again. Personally I reckon that the West has had its day and we're just destroying our own society while the East sits and watches, and then one day the East are gonna rise up and finish the job. Thats what I think anyway!

Answer 15

thats an extremely good question.

to me its not because we want to kill people, its more self defense.

i carry a knife with me a lot, and its not because i want to start a fight or kill anybody.far from it, im a lover not a fighter, but when the time comes i want to be prepared.

and if worst comes to worst then thats when you'll be using it.

i personally would rather just use my fists than steel, but people dont always play fare, and even put u in 2/1 or 3/1 fights sometimes, and if that the case then u should find a way to get them off of you or get the h**l out.

my dad tells me to wear a belt 1. because he doesnt like my pants saggin(and i dont really either), and 2. because if something were to happen to me then i have a little extra sumthin to help me.

my dad grew up in oakland California and his brother, my uncle, got stabbed because of a jealous girlfriend...life isnt always fair, and my dad always told me that.im 16 and dont live in then ghetto or nuthin, but i can basically cal it my home because my family lives there and im there all the time.

and i dont carry guns and all that **** with me.

i like to be a fair fighter, not a coward who needs a gun to hurt or kill someone.

im 16 and ive already learned that tha world aint fair, but hey...**** happpens

hope that helps...hope i didnt scare u.lol.

Answer 16

well as a 16 year old i have knives around me NOT because of anything u mentioned in 1)

but because everybody eles does. i dont wanna be the ONE guy going rownd in a mall without a knife!