The police crime statistics have shown that knife and gun-related crime has increased over time, in particular, youth crime statistics. There has been a staggering amount of new entrants into the Youth Justice system within the recent years, which emphasises the need for the vital input of changes that needs to be made, in order to reduce the excessive numbers of young people being involved in crime.

Young people have become particularly vulnerable due to COVID-19 disruptions, which has led to many students being left behind in education, unemployment, financial issues, poverty and negative impacts of health and wellbeing. Many of these hardships have become risk factors of crime.

In order to reduce youth crime, the causes of young people commiting crime should be fully understood. These include: peer pressure, family, social media, feeling usafe in communities,  financial gain, lack of educational achievement, as well as drug and alcohol abuse. 

If young people felt more supported, it would deter them from making these incorrect decisions:

• Schools should provide better suppport to students who are at risk of involvement in crime and how what they teach could connect with young people growing up in very disadvantaged communities 
• The government should tackle the underlying issues that cause potential crime within communities, such as homelessness and unemployment which is central in reducing violent crimes
• Young people state that youth custody is not effective in working to rehabilitate them- criminal records reduced their opportunities of employment- custody should be used as a last resort in the youth justice system 
• Ensure young people feel safe on the streets by building an effective relationship with police officers and increasing the numbers of community police officers, as young people felt concerned about the reductions in police officers in the recent years
• Schools should provide more support to the affected individual to deter them from criminal behaviour rather them excluding them from school, which increases criminal behaviour 
• It is vital to educate families about the involvement in crime and how some could improve their parenting techniques to support their child