Community Justice Scotland and CYCJ joint statement

Recently there have been some tragic events in Scotland involving children and young people. These are isolated incidents and within the context of much smaller numbers than we saw 20 years ago.

We must always be alert to changing behaviours and introduce preventative measures to address emerging issues. The most critical part of a public health approach to violence is understanding the problem, understanding the risk and the protective factors to mitigate against harmful behaviour.

Young people today live in a complex world, with the digital landscape contributing to far different pressures than those faced by previous generations. We must consider the broader context whilst we manage responding to the tragic events that have driven press interest, and must be extremely careful not to make young people fearful and increase the risk of carrying weapons.

Evidence tells us that the factors driving knife carrying are complex and varied and require a range of interventions to address them, but young people themselves say that fear, peer pressure and street cred/bravado are often the key motivations.

We must focus on what works – it is not a single solution, it never was. We need the help of parents, teachers, youth work and more. And we must listen to young people themselves. Prevention and early intervention are key.

Karyn McCluskey, Chief Executive, Community Justice Scotland

Professor Fiona Dyer, Director, Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ)

Revised 16th June 2025