Brandishing a knife on social media

[YanTanTethera01]

Last night my DD told me an increasing number of people she is connected with on social media are showing pictures/videos of themselves brandishing knives which are clearly weapons, not domestic knives.

She showed me a Snapchat story of one girl with a very menacing looking knife.

We don't live in a particularly deprived area. There is no gang culture that I'm aware of. These are regular kids from regular homes.

It might all be show-boating and I think I've already made the decision to report them to the police but on the other hand, I don't want to ruin some kid's future by enabling a criminal conviction due to their immaturity and lack of education around knife crime.

I should say I don't know them personally, nor does my DD so speaking to their parents isn't an option. They are 17/18 years old.

Any opinions/advice welcome.

Reported to the Police . Not sure they can "do anything" despite the still live video. I guess we'll have to wait for someone to be maimed or killed. No wonder these thugs are running rings round the authorities.

I would talk to your DD about following people on social media who are "regular kids" that she doesn't know personally. Why on earth is she following them then?

Every kid follows every other kid on social media. It's the way of the world.

Do they go to the same 6th form/college? Maybe approach the school and ask them to talk it though with pupils.
Or ask for some advice from your PCSO.

You are the parent and you need to keep them safe online. "It's the way of the world" doesn't mean you have to allow it. I mean, FFS, your child is being exposed to all sorts here and you're just shrugging your shoulders about their social media contacts?

Yes, you want to know what to do about the knives, but if they weren't following everyone and their uncle, they wouldn't have seen it. Surely your DD is sensible enough to understand that?

It is probably a new trend.
More and more kids from all different backgrounds carry a knife, some for protection.
The police need heavy penalties for having a knife, they need more power to stop and search, I understand that brings it's own problems.
There has been lots of young men murdered here in the past few years from stabbings.