More research into knife crime call

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The Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at King's College, London, said insecurity and protection are key factors but called for more research.

It said the government had focused on using penalties as a deterrent but said the lack of a clear strategy was obvious when politicians called for longer jail sentences while some police chiefs wanted offenders to get an £80 fine.

The report, Knife Crime - a review of evidence and policy, said the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 had doubled the maximum sentence for carrying a knife in public from two to four years but was unlikely to act as a deterrent.

"Relying on the implausible view that increased sentence length will have a deterrent effect, it seems unlikely that the government's chosen policy will have an impact on knife carrying in public," the report said.

"This is particularly the case because such behaviour is most common among children and young people who are less likely to foresee the consequences of their actions, less likely to appreciate cause and effect and are most likely to be the victims of violent crime."

It added: "Given that knife carrying is most common among those aged 16 to 17, this new sentence may well result in children and young people going to prison for longer."

The report said ministers, in response to a number of high profile stabbings, had increased penalties rather than developing effective prevention strategies.

The report concluded: "The government's overall prevention approach to tackling youth crime lacks a coherent framework and is made up of a range of piecemeal initiatives."

It also criticises the Conservative leader, saying: "David Cameron's comment that rap music encourages the carrying of knives shows a lack of understanding of the reality of the problem."