I took a seat for black communities. I wanted to speak up. Not just for me, but for other young people who feel ignored, judged, or unsafe. Knife crime doesn’t just mess up one person’s life, it affects everyone around them. It’s definitely not something we should just accept.
When I was 13, I was out playing outside with my mates near my street. We were just messing about, having a laugh, when this lad, someone I’d known for years but clearly didn’t understand my race and had never got on with me, came over.
He then pulled out a knife and started waving it in my face, saying he was gonna kill me. I tried to move, but he kept following me. My mates ran to get help, but no one was around. Eventually, one of them managed to call the police. Soon as they turned up, he ran. By that point, I was shaking. I just wanted to go home.
In that moment, I genuinely thought this is it. Even after the police came, I kept on feeling scared. I didn’t go outside for weeks, I just kept thinking, what if it happens again? Even now, it sticks with me. It showed me how quickly things can change, and how real violence is.
Even now, my experience with knife crime sticks with me. It showed me how quickly things can change, and how real violence is.
Caleb, Youth Commission Member
The biggest thing? You can’t let fear take over your life. At some point, I had to push myself to go back outside, see my friends, try to feel normal again. It wasn’t easy, but I wasn’t gonna let him take that away from me. I also learned how important it is to talk. My mum, my gran, my mates, they got me through it. Without them, I’d have been stuck in my own head, overthinking everything.
If something like this happens to you, don’t keep it to yourself. Talk to someone, a parent, a teacher, even the police. There are also some great charities, I would really recommend Samaritans. You don’t have to deal with it alone. If we can all work together, we may be able to make some real change.
If you have been affected by any of the issues, raised by Caleb, help and support is available.
Within your local communities you have access to a range of public services such as:
Victim support
West Yorkshire Police
Fearless (Crimestoppers)
Samaritans
