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Original poster

What to do if you catch your son carrying a knife

49 replies

akgmum2019 · 02/10/2019 11:06

I recently became aware that my son has been carrying a knife with him when he has been out the house. I am rather vigilant when it comes to knowing who he is with and when, however I feel like beyond disciplining him myself there is little more I can do.

I feel confident that I can go to the police if necessary, i am just unsure as to what point i should resort to this/if i should have done this already?

Any advice would be great, and even better if you have experienced something similar.

OP posts:

RubbingHimSourly · 02/10/2019 11:09

Report him to the police. He's leaving the house with a potential murder weapon. It's a no brainer really.

Horehound · 02/10/2019 11:10

I think id be contacting police for advice tbh.

Nospringchickendipper · 02/10/2019 11:14

Speak to your son first .Find out why he is carrying it. Explain to him the dangers of carrying a knife.
Speaking to the police could result in a prosecution.

Slappadabass · 02/10/2019 11:15

It's a big decision to report your own child but if he stabbed someone, or ended up stabbed himself I'm sure you wouldn't be able to forgive yourself for not taking the steps needed when you could. Hopefully the shock of the police will knock some sense into him.
Also search for local knife crime charities, see if someone would come talk to him about it, my DDs scout group recently had a knife crime presentation, it was very confronting and showed them the realities of knife crime and gangs, even I was shocked at some of the statistics and how much knife related crime is in my local area!

FAQs · 02/10/2019 11:16

You have two issues, the knife and the reasons why he feels he needs to carry it.

I wouldn’t report him without talking to him first, can you talk to him or will he shut down?

HoppingPavlova · 02/10/2019 11:20

How old is he?

FAQs · 02/10/2019 11:22

This is supposed to be aimed at teens m.youtube.com/watch?v=xmPbNENC3kE

flamingjune123 · 02/10/2019 11:25

God what a dilemma. I'm 100% sure if you asked him why he was carrying he'd give the stock response of 'for protection'. He's very unlikely to say he carries a knife as he's considering knifing someone.
I'd love to say go to the police but, in reality I don't know what I'd do if it was my own son. I do know I'd have to talk to him even if I knew I'd get the stock answer. I'd then worry myself sick that he was in situations where others were carrying.
I wish you well with a horrible situation

Evilmorty · 02/10/2019 11:29

I would phone the police. He may be in a gang, at threat from one, and find himself in a situation where he stabs someone in “defence.”

PEkithelp · 02/10/2019 11:30

Look and see if there are any charities working with young people in these areas. In my area there are some great ones. They would allocate him a male mentor who has personal experience of leaving this sort of situation and would invite him to specific, targeted youthwork.

Ferretyone · 02/10/2019 11:35

It is very unlikely that if you reported him to the Police for "having carried a knife" they would do anything by way of prosecution. Unlike if they actually find him carrying it [and quite right too].

Ohnoherewego62 · 02/10/2019 11:37

Absolutely contact the police.

Maybe a stern word from them and their school could make him see things a bit clearer.

How worrying for you!

mrsk28 · 02/10/2019 11:38

Depends what age you son is how I would approach it.

If he was young enough and possibly doesn't understand what can happen when someone carries a knife then I would talk to him.

If he's old enough that he should understand I would contact a local charity/police for advice. Better safe than sorry.

Greatnorthwoods · 02/10/2019 11:43

Speak to your son first .Find out why he is carrying it. Explain to him the dangers of carrying a knife. Speaking to the police could result in a prosecution

^This, DS and DH both carry a knife on a daily basis but for practical reasons as they are very useful. What kind of knife is it? Is there a chance he is being a well prepared scout?

earlynightneeded · 02/10/2019 11:44

Report to the police. I hope he gets caught and learns his lesson. Or it could be him that gets stabbed

My brother was killed two years ago in a London knife attack that was completely unprovoked.

italianfiat · 02/10/2019 11:49

How old is he?

School? College? Uni? Employed? Unemployed?

It does matter.

noblegiraffe · 02/10/2019 11:51

Contact the police for advice and if your DS is still at school, please contact the school as he is unlikely to be the only one and they really need to be aware.

raspberryk · 02/10/2019 12:36

You aren't beyond disciplining him, how old is he?
If he uses it on anyone and the worst happened he would go to prison for murder, he will have taken a life. Two families lives ruined.

Or he will be the one injured or killed.

I wouldn't have any qualms about reporting to the police.

Original poster

akgmum2019 · 02/10/2019 14:09

Thanks for all the responses, they are really reassuring,

to answer some questions, my DS is 17. I would go to the police probably as a last resort as I am worried about how he would be treated as a young black male - I just want to protect him

OP posts:

gostiwooz · 02/10/2019 14:21

I would get a police officer to come round to the house and give him the bollocking of a lifetime.

HennyPennyHorror · 02/10/2019 14:28

If he's carrying a knife then there's a constant risk of him using it OP. Or of someone else using one against him.

I'd be talking to the police too. But I do understand your concerns about how he'd be treated...BUT...how would he be treated if he were searched on the street and they found a knife on him?

Breathlessness · 02/10/2019 14:30

17? I wouldn’t go to the police. I’d ask him why he’s carrying it, explain the consequences if he’s stopped by the police while carrying it and how, even if he’s carrying it for protection, he could end up escalating a situation. If he has the knife out he could very well end up killing someone - a group of people fighting and shoving, even his own friends arsing about, could push someone onto the blade. Carrying a knife could seriously fuck up his life.

Charles11 · 02/10/2019 14:34

He could go to prison for carrying a knife.
I know of someone, an otherwise decent teen of 18 yrs old who just served a prison sentence for carrying a knife. Someone noticed it in his pocket and reported him.
He was carrying it because everyone else does apparently and has now ruined his life.

chillichoclove · 02/10/2019 14:38

www.redthread.org.uk

Amazing charity who I'm sure would offer useful advice

Nat6999 · 02/10/2019 14:42

A young black Male near where I live carried a knife, he got in to a fight with a 15 year old who tried to take the knife off him, he ended up dead, in the struggle to take the knife off him, stabbed with his own knife. The 15 year old got sentenced to 2 years youth custody for manslaughter, 1 knife ruined 2 lives. Do your local police have a youth crime officer? They speak & engage with young people who are in danger of becoming involved with crime, very often getting them in to activities to build confidence so that they no longer want to be involved in criminal activity & also showing them what will happen to them if they carry on.

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