Generally speaking, increasing the perceived likelihood of being caught is a more effective deterrent than severity of sentence. Police targetting of violence hotspots is effective. Restorative justice (in the form of community conferences) reduces repeat violence where a heartfelt apology is given.

Fear of violence increases where there is evidence of criminal damage, litter and grafitti – an abused environment scares us into thinking we might ourselves be abused.

Most robbery is associated with drugs.

But otherwise there is not much evidence to direct measures to reduce knife crime. We need more research into crime, the way we have research into disease.

Adrian Sie
Locum Consultant in Paediatrics
Southern General Hospital
Govan Road
Glasgow
G51 4TF
0141 232 7878