As reported by The Conversation, gang involvement and knife crime among young people in London is on the rise, with teachers taking on roles far beyond education to keep their students safe
County-line gangs have capitalised on reductions in youth services, such as cuts to funding for after-school clubs, to recruit an increasing number of vulnerable young people to traffic drugs from cities into smaller towns and rural areas. Knife carrying is seen as a required form of protection against rival gangs.
In 2015, the British school inspectorate Ofsted published guidance for schools, making clear they have a role to play in addressing gang violence. Secondary schools have “a duty and a responsibility to protect their pupils”.
recent research in an east London secondary school gives insight into the challenges that teachers are facing in addressing gang violence.
The teachers talked about how gangs filled the gaps left when children were by themselves. Rohan explained that many parents had several jobs and worked long hours to make ends meet. In the absence of parents or youth services, gangs could take advantage of vulnerable young people outside school.
Studies confirm that gangs offer a sense of belonging and act as family systems.
Research shows that inequality, poverty, and lack of social and economic opportunities are risk factors for gang involvement. This challenges racialised depictions of gang violence in the British media, pointing instead to the socioeconomic roots of the issue.
Schools and teachers cannot address gang violence on their own – and they should not have to. Rather, whole communities should be involved in tackling youth violence, with the government support they need.
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