kids and Knifes?

Question

At the moment this is a big story, kids carrying knifes and more importantly using them as weapons.
I have a confession, I purchased (illegally) a knife when I was 10/11 and actually used to take it to school (this is in the 80's). Not for self protection but so I could whittle wood and feel a bit more grown up I suppose, the thing is "it didn't do me any harm", as usual haven't we (the media) jumped on to the wrong bandwagon. Doesn't it all boil down to respect ? The kids who use knifes against each other more than likely come from a single parent family something the government appear to encourage. When are we going to realise that these problems are generated by our society and our strive for individual freedoms and not the actual weapons themselves. It is no surprise that that UNICEF survey put us at the bottom wrt children.

I should have said young teenage single mothers, sorry didn't really mean single mothers in general!!
Like any scenario there will be some single mothers who are excellent parents and capable of taking on the work load of 2. However I believe that this is significantly more difficult and more likely to produce a problem child, I suspect in countries with far lower youth crime have more stable "traditional" families.

Answer 1

Completely agree. I always used to carry a pen knife, not with the intention of stabbing a kid that got lippy to me, just because they are useful from time to time.

Society is to blame for leaving these kids to their own devices with no support infrastructure in place to help develop them into decent citizens.

They get no attention or proper guidance from home and the parents wonder why they get in trouble and say things like, ' he was a good boy really'

Investment in young people doesn't seem to be a priority for anyone these days and we think its bad now, give it 20 years, and see what its like when these kids are grown up and raising the next generation.

Answer 2

I'm a single parent family and my kids have never hung around streets through the day or night and would never dream of carrying a knife, they show respect to everyone even Moran's like you.. my now 22 yr old works for the government my 16 yr old is doing well at college and getting ready to go to uni..and if you don't think carrying a knife did you any harm then what message are you giving children and what lovely lessons your teaching them that all kids from single parent families are knife carrying thugs and that their to blame for all the crimes that are committed

Answer 3

Kids who carry knives are not more likely to be from a single parent family. When you were a kid, you carried a knife, but as you said, it did you no harm, but that's because you bought it to carve wood etc - that's the sort of thing boys do - however kids nowadays do not buy them for that reason - they have them for "protection", because they think it gives them street cred & because other kids have them & they wouldnt want to be caught in a situation when they were the only one without a knife.

It all does come down to repsect though. Kids get away with too much & don't have respect for others, or their elders. That's the main problem.

Answer 4

excuse me!? i grew up in a single parent family and i didnt carry a knife with me! society has changed from the 80s, kids see too much nowadays and the crime rate has risen through the roof! gang culture is encouraged within society and kids growing up want to feel big, it is not the families or the government to blame! maybe if people were a bit more open minded and willing to help in there own comminity thing wldn't be as bad, instead of passing blame!

Answer 5

knives are like any other tool. they can be used for carving things out of wood, sharpening pencils, trimming fingernails, cutting boxes open, opening letters neatly, etc.

when I was growing up ( in a farming community ) every boy and adult carried a pen knife or some other knife not for a weapon but for a tool.

Answer 6

single parent families are nothing to do with knife culture you moron!!