Girls carry knives too
YOUTH WORKER’S HARD-HITTING FILM CHALLENGES ASSUMPTION THAT KNIVES ARE A MALE PROBLEM AND AIMS TO EDUCATE PARENTS
A YOUTH worker trying to stop young men and women from carrying knives has launched a hard-hitting video for parents.
Courtney Rose founded the charity and independent school Take 1 Studio in Nottingham.
He was recently appointed as a community ambassador for Nottinghamshire’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which is trying to stop kids from getting into a life of crime with a number of initiatives.
The film shows a single mum battling with her young daughter after finding a knife in her school bag.
Mr Rose wanted to show that it is not just young men that carry blades, it is also an issue that affects young women.
The film called Know Your Knives has been launched on Youtube and is about paying attention to your child’s behaviour.
The girl blames bullying at her school for carrying the blade and says: “Everyone is carrying a knife around for protection. It is not like it was back in the day when you were young.”
Mr Rose is calling on parents to “know what is in your house” and have that chat with their child if they discovered a knife was missing.
He said: “It was something we thought we needed to do because of what is happening in the world today.
“People often see knife crime from the male perspective, so we looked at it from a female perspective and from the point of view of a single parent to open people’s eyes.
“We’re really proud of the film. I’m an advocate for education and helping people to make the right choices.
“Nine out of 10 children involved in violence today have negative role models and buy into that life.”
Mr Rose launched Take 1 Studio in Hyson Green in 1999 to provide an alternative learning environment centred on music, technology and dance for the hardest to reach young people in Nottingham.
Dave Wakelin, director of the VRU, said: “This film will speak to all families, not only those with single parents.
“It demonstrates the complexity around knife-carrying that some families have to deal with and the shock that parents have when they find out their child is carrying a knife.
“In the film, we have Chantelle, who is being bullied and cannot find time to speak to her mum who is really busy at home – circumstances like this are common in Nottinghamshire families, as they are elsewhere.
“Family life can be challenging sometimes and there’s no criticism implied here at all.
“We are committed to helping parents through our work within the VRU – it’s a real priority for us in the team.
“We want to learn more from parents who may have been in this or a similar position because by doing this and listening we can gain valuable insight and a better understanding of how to respond.”
People often see knife crime from the male perspective, so we looked at it from a female perspective and from the point of view of a single parent to open people’s eyes Courtney Rose