Schools with knife crime problems in south east London

[emc]

Does anyone know of any specific ones? I only really know the primary schools around here (am hoping this is not a problem they face) but am not as knowledgeable on Secondary schools - any help gratefully received?

[Saila]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23432827-girl-13-knifed-in-playground.do

[womanofdulwich]

What a horrible fact that is.

In our experience it is all the bus stops, parks etc that my sons have come across knives and threats of knives. Knowing how to deal with this situation is very important in south London as you have to be able to have something to "give". I think boys might suffer more from this than girls "on the streets" but don't know about schools.

[sillywoman]

Odd thread this. OP - what sort of help do you want? Is it that you want to know whether any particular secondary has a reputation for high levels of knife crime, or do you want to hear of specific incidents? I can't quite get a purchase on yur reason for posting.

saila - an interesting article, is it current? The only date I could see on it was from over 2 years ago. Maybe I'm misreading or not looking in the right place?

WoD. I absolutely agree, friends whose kids have been victims of muggings or knife crime report that it tends to be in parks, bus stops or on the way home from school. I'm very interested in what you say about "knowing how to deal with this situation" being very important. It really set me thinking - I haven't really discussed this particular situation with my 13 & 14 year old, but I should. Are there any guidelines, or even awareness courses they could go on to learn what to do when confronted with the threat of violence/ danger from another person?

[citizenED]

I think emc is a journalist looking for a story. I might be wrong.

emc might be a parent worried about getting their child into a knife-crime free school.

[littleEDfamily]

Must be quite scary being a teenager round here. I try to keep perspective on these things, but whenever I here things like this (the Camberwell article - yes, I know a little out of date), it makes a move to the country look oh so much more attractive. Quite a few teenagers seem quite resigned to getting mugged every so often....not nice. Or normal in my opinion.

[Milan05]

Our son attended a year 7 induction day in a 'sought after' south London school today and was physically bullied in the playground! Nice welcome - I would be intersted in any similar courses that sillywoman mentioned.

[sillywoman]

I dunno about scary LEDF, maybe we've been lucky but for my 2 teens and the majority of their friends they seem to be having the kind of teenage I could only have dreamed of in small town middle England. They are surrounded by kids & families they've grown up with, they treat London 'town' as their playground with easy, free access via bus & train. They're careful & aware of not putting themselves in risky situations - much the same as teens anywhere would be I imagine - I'm so thankful that we didn't do the 'move out' thing when they were younger. We did consider it (I think lots do?). My family out in the countryside seem to report just as many incidences of schoolyard bullying & teen on teen muggings. But as I said, maybe we've been lucky.

[littleEDfamily]

Sarf London can be egdy. Much as I love it, it ain't the country's safest location.

How much you tolerate in terms of latent threat to your safety and that of your kids is very personal. Having spent a good amount of time in an a country with a very rate high violent crime, as well as in so called 'safe' places, bottom line is, as much as I try to rationalise that anything can happen anywhere, I can't help but think I can do better for my children.

[sillywoman]

I guess it depends on your definition of 'better'. We like it here, warts and all & I feel privileged to raise my family in this great community.

[littleEDfamily]

By 'better', I mean 'safer'. And there are definitely safer places for teenagers.

[womanofdulwich]

wow lucky you not to have had your children been challenged in some way!

Maybe you have told them in a subtle way- common sense- do not use a flashy phoen in public, walk with freinds if you can - be aware of groups/ bigger boys. if you have a good bike do not cycle it anywhere other than on a road- never in a park or on a narrow path. always have a small amount of change you can give up so that muggers think you haev something - or have such a horrible mobile - or one with an unusual charger- that if offered it they will not want it.

Do not wait at busstops that are not opposite houses/ shops. try and keep where there are older people.

I think my son was taken to the police station at the end of year 6 to have a safety talk but it was a bit full on. You could double check with them if they do anything else now. I think schools do /should cover this.

Because there were a few attempted abductions he did have a phase of judo/taekwondo.

Basically it is going to happen- you cant protect them 24-7 but I think you jsut have to give them more freedom and guidance /advice. however every time they hear a story of a friend losing a bike etc you can feel them physically getting smaller. the really sad thing ( I think) is that it invariably means that the most liekly perpetrators are small groups of black boys- or single ones -who have to "mug" someone as an initiation . My eldest son is 18 now and I think he is no longer a target- although I still worry about him a bit.

[minder]

I feel the same womanofdulwich everytime my nearly 18 year old goes out - and that's mainly during the daytime.

He's just had his bike nicked from our side shed (Sunday night) so I do feel safer now he might have to bus it anywhere he goes (in some ways).

[Pecanpie]

Went on rant about climate of fear, then thought about it and decided it was a bit off topic, so edited!

[buggie]

If parents are wanting advice for their teenagers, it could be worth contacting the Safer Neighbourhood team (The Lanes one now has a thread running in the general section to see if they could offer advice/help.

[sillywoman]

littleEDfamily Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> By 'better', I mean 'safer'. And there are

> definitely safer places for teenagers.

An Island in the outer hebrides maybe? It just depends where you draw the line I guess?

I/ we may just have been lucky to date, though we've had our share of bikes stolen, but if we have then almost all my local friends & their kids have too.

Will check out the SNT thread though, & thanks for the tips WoD, I'll pass them o to my kids.

[Smiler]

Would've thought that most general self-defence courses would cover knives etc.

[tarafitness]

We've just moved into the area from Herne Hill where my son was mugged twice in two years!

The first incident was on the way back home from HH station, late afternoon... Was by an older kid who asked him for the time and snatched his phone when he took it out to look (frustrating as he had many watches to wear!!)

As upsetting as this was for him it was just a harsh lesson learnt... Don't get your phone out!! The next mobile we bought him cost ?20 and he was given strict instructions to hand it over if needs be... The phone is replaceable.

The second time was a lot more distressing however... It was at the same time of day, and on his way back home from the train station (he doesn't go to school locally, it's on the Surrey boarders!)

A fully grown man in his late 20's/early 30's put a knife to his throat and told him he'd cut it if he didn't hand over the phone. Nice.

This proved the catalyst for us to move out of the area, we'd kidded ourselves for too long that Herne Hill was far away enough from Brixton, in reality it's part of it.

We're very happy here in ED, however that's not to say that I'm stupid enough to believe there is zero chance of the same thing happening, I just do believe there's less of one.

Still don't think I'd send my kid to a London secondary school, it's a tough call though as it's such a big step from the comparitive safe cocoon that is primary school... My son went to a lovely one in Chelsea and got one hell of a shock when he left *that* little pond!!

[tallgirl]

I think emc is a journalist looking for a story

[tarafitness]

ahhh yes...

but might still be a concerned parent too!

[ladywotlunches]

Boy stabbed and killed at South London school

This is in West Norwood. Its not a mainstream school I know, but these kids probably go to the school from further afield (ie closer to here) if they have been excluded from the local schools. (which can happen so quickly to seemingly well-behaved children). Very scary.

edited to say: My thoughts go to the family. Have realised I was guilty of seeing 'school for kids with behavioral problems' and disregarded the people involved. Of course these problems can happen to all families. That is what scares me the most, I suppose.