Taskforce
Wednesday 14 October 2009
A new group of people have hit the streets determined to tackle knife crime. Find out about the taskforce.
It Doesn’t Have to Happen
Back in 2008, the Home Office launched a national campaign against knife crime. The campaign targeted under 16s.
The Home Office brought together 18 people who together campaigned for It Doesn’t Have to Happen (IDHTH). Since then IDHTH has come up with loads of different ways to fight knife crime. You've probably seen their Bebo page and their adverts at bus stops and on billboards and on TV.
Task force
Earlier this month IDHTH launched a brand new youth taskforce. 27 campaigners aged between 15 and 20, with their own experience in knife crime, hit the streets to spread the word.
The taskforce aims to inform people of the effects of knife crime. Their target audience? People their own age.
Don’t be surprised if you see the taskforce in and around your local area. Campaigners are travelling to cities like London, Leeds and Bristol to share their experiences.
"I got involved with 'It Doesn't Have to Happen' because I know that nobody can get through to young people better than other young people," explains taskforce campaigner Aron Jervis.
Don’t risk it
Carrying a knife around is risky and dangerous. You may have seen posters and adverts which show the possible consequences of carrying a knife. A young offenders' institute doesn’t sound very appealing does it?
Don’t Shank Just Skank
With the help of music artists like MC Neat and DJ Luck, the taskforce produced their own track. ‘Don’t Shank Just Skank’ is a funky house-inspired anthem which spreads the anti-knife crime message on a heavy beat.
Listen to the track and watch the video here.
Bebo
The taskforce have also been spreading the message online. They've completely taken over IDHTH’s Bebo page!
Want to show your support? Visit their page and add them as a friend. Why not encourage your friends to add them too? You could also post comments and enter their polls.
Get involved
There are many ways that you can take a stand against knife crime. You could organise a club night or themed activities, or design posters. You could also rally up your friends and family and get them to sign a petition. This way you’ll be able to pass the info on to your local council to show them that people in your community have an opinion.
When organising an activity think about:-
- what you want to achieve
- your target audience
- practicalities – do you have the right equipment and tools? Check out these helpful resources.
- how to spread the word
Visit this page for more ideas and helpful info.
