Curriculum // Programmes

DEFENCE AGAINST EDGED-WEAPONS
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It is a well-known fact that across the UK violent crime is on the increase. What is also known is that criminals/attackers are more likely to carry offensive [edged] weapons with them and are willing to use them in order to assist in their criminal activities.

Bare facts
>236 Homicides due to "sharp intruments" in 2005
>4974 people treated by the NHS for wounds caused by bladed weapons in 2005
>60 000 children aged 11-16 carrying knives in 2004 (according to the BCS)
>100 violent incidents in the UK & Wales every single day
>2 years maximum jail sentence for carrying a knife
>17 715 weapons surrendered in the first week of a national amnesty June 2006

(Ref. The independant on Sunday 18.06.2006)

2 years ago the Self-protection Network decided to begin collecting newspaper clippings pertaining to issues of violence against the person and in particular attacks utilising 'edged weapons', these articles make up much of the case studies delivered and learned during our seminar work. Approximately 1 year into the collection this was fazed out. However, six months ago the practice restarted and in just those six months the Self-protection Network has collected almost double the articles on 'edged weapon' attacks than from the previous complete year long study- in real terms knife and edged-weapon attacks have not significantly increased (according to the lastest British Crime Survey) however, the reporting of these attacks has increased markedly and this says an awful lot about the way UK society and youth culture is moving!

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