TOO many children in England – including some as young as 11 – are carrying knives because they feel unsafe in their neighbourhoods, a report has found.

Serious youth violence is “more far-reaching” than many adults realise and it has a “wide impact” across communities, including Somerset.

Knife crime is relatively low in Somerset, but violent crime against young people is increasing.

From 2021–2024, 52% of offences with a suspect under 18 and 61% of offences with a victim under 18 were violent crimes.

'Zombie knives' (pictured) have been banned due to the increase in knife crime in the UK in 2024. (Image: Joe Giddens/PA)

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Children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) are disproportionately at risk of serious youth violence, according to the joint study by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), HMI Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HMI Probation.

According to the report, the experiences of hundreds of children between September 2023 and May 2024 in Leeds, Coventry, Somerset, Manchester, Merton and Lancashire – found serious youth violence is “widespread” and whole communities are affected by it.

The report said: "Parents are very concerned for the safety of their children. We frequently heard of children carrying knives in order, as they described it, to protect themselves.

"The fear of knife crime among children is evident. Inspectors were alarmed at how many children and professionals told them that it is common for children to carry a knife.

"This included children as young as 11."

"Delays across England in assessing children’s needs in relation to Send are putting these children at greater risk of harm,” the report warned.

While the inspectorates found examples of partnerships doing effective work to reduce harm, the report noted “this is not happening in all areas”.

It said: “A failure to consistently identify serious youth violence as a safeguarding issue is leaving too many children at serious risk of harm.”

Some professionals did not realise the “harmful consequences” of the way they responded to children, such as blaming them for the harm they experienced.

Separate research from charity Safer London, commissioned by Ofsted, found families affected by serious youth violence often felt a distinct lack of empathy from professionals.

Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector of Ofsted, said: "Knife crime is blighting the lives of too many children in England. It’s a national scandal.

"It’s very disturbing that children as young as 11 feel they need to carry a knife for their own protection.

“Urgent action is needed now, to keep children safe.”