Gun and knife crime has, sadly, been a regular topic of conversation in the news and on our timelines as of late.

February 2018 marked the first month London saw more murders than New York, with 15 dead (nine aged 30 or younger), The Sunday Times reports. London also suffered 22 fatal stabbings and shootings in March, higher than the 21 in the Big Apple. In response to the growing issue, a number of initiaitives have been set up by the government. 

Last year, a new campaign from the Mayor of London's office launched to discourage teens in the capital from carrying knives by highlighting the value they contribute to the fabric of the city. 

Sadiq Khan also promised £15m a year to fund education, sport and cultural activities for the capital’s most disadvantaged young people, in an effort to steer them away from crime and violence. However, the latest developments in the capital prove that it may take more than a social media campaign and public funding to tackle this issue. 

Carrying a knife won’t keep you safe. Help carry a new message. #LondonNeedsYouAlive #LNYA pic.twitter.com/GkOGJu6ySh

— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) November 15, 2017

Amid concerns over rising violent crimes in London, a powerful conversation has emerged online around what needs to be done to bring about a peaceful and long-term solution. 

Wish I knew what to say about what’s happening in my ends North London were better then this man smh R.I.P to the young angel who lost her life last night love & prayers to the family. I’m honestly lost for words

— FR32 (@Wretch32) April 3, 2018

At 13 my older brother was stabbed to death, and at 23 my younger brother was sentenced to 18 years for murder. BOTH were victims of their environments. Both instances have had huge collateral damage and both incidents changed the the fabric of our family & friends irrevocably.

— #Яebel (@Jamelia) April 3, 2018

It breaks my heart to know that nothing has changed, and if anything it has gotten worse. People keep saying culture needs to change, yes, it does, not glorifying beef and violence is a no brainer. But we as parents, aunties, uncles, older siblings need to check ourselves too

— #Яebel (@Jamelia) April 3, 2018

What are you promoting, glorifying, spending your time and energy on? Who’s watching you, learning from and looking up to you?
It starts with us, trust me.

— #Яebel (@Jamelia) April 3, 2018

My heart aches for 17 year old Tanesha Melbourne-Blake and her family. A tragic loss of innocent life. Thoughts with the two young men suffering after a separate shooting and stabbing on the same day. The frequency of homicides involving young people in London is heart breaking.

— Will Poulter (@PoulterWill) April 3, 2018

Too many innocent people dying... it’s crazy still

— SNEAKBO #Brixton2ndMarch (@Sneakbo) April 3, 2018

A 20-year-old man stabbed to death in London this weekend is the 31st victim of knife crime in the capital this year.

The Met Commissioner Cressida Dick thinks social media is partly to blame for this rise in fatal stabbings across England and Wales. pic.twitter.com/WZ3JbeHASO

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) April 2, 2018

Violence can’t be the only consequence for ppl fucking with u, success is a great revenge, loving yourself/others is a great revenge, getting money is a great revenge, why does it have to be physical and more time it’s over stupid shit!

— Ms Banks (@MsBanks94) April 3, 2018

You think any ones really there for you when the first 10 years goes by and your bredrins who were lucky enough to survive have their families to look after and you’ve become nothing but a distant memory from a life called what once was.

— GHETTS (@THEREALGHETTS) April 3, 2018

You think any ones really there for you when the first 10 years goes by and your bredrins who were lucky enough to survive have their families to look after and you’ve become nothing but a distant memory from a life called what once was.

— GHETTS (@THEREALGHETTS) April 3, 2018

Operationthinkfirst

— GHETTS (@THEREALGHETTS) April 3, 2018

The rise in knife & gun crime amongst the young in London is critical. The Mayor, community leaders &Government must unite & find a strategy

— Nick Knowles (@MrNickKnowles) April 3, 2018

London honestly what is going on, every morning I open Twitter I see a new headline of someone getting shot or stabbed, all these people dying for what? Why are these ludicrous crimes happening? What are you gaining from killing someone? Families grieving everyday, it has to stop

— TEEKS (TICKS) (@BADDEST_TEEKS) April 3, 2018

The police gangs unit behind a dramatic knife crime drop in one London borough https://t.co/xrbqCsZnyg

— Evening Standard (@standardnews) April 2, 2018

Currently working on documentary about how knife crime is increasing and what can we do to prevent it I need some young people to feature in it if you would like to be involved feel free to message me we need to come together because this is ridiculous now and it needs to stop pic.twitter.com/ktNkjQRsw9

— Jo (@jo_million) March 31, 2018

Sociology tells us that this is all an almost inevitable outcome of living in poverty. If you want to stop knife crime you have to tackle poverty.

— PRINCESSA (@neeshashade) April 3, 2018

My brother keeps losing friends over knife crime and I don’t know how to pray harder for him. I am petrified.

— MXM (@mxmsworld) April 2, 2018

The one thing which makes a conflict, turn into a retaliation is SHAME and HUMILIATION. Years back you could actually see a person on road, or school, in a club verbalise their intent that this wasn't over by simply saying "watch!!"

— Funk Butcher (@FunkButcher) April 3, 2018

Bravado is marketed to young males with no counter-measure via social media channels.... "if a guy pinches your girls bum...what do you do?" its the never-ending toxic cycle which teaches youth ALWAYS have the upper hand. To concede is weakness.

— Funk Butcher (@FunkButcher) April 3, 2018

SHAME and EMBARRASSMENT is possibly the strongest motivator for cyclical bouts of violence along with EGO. "why don't you like ******?"....."because he thinks he's bad!" got to challenge the irrationality of this thinking.

— Funk Butcher (@FunkButcher) April 3, 2018

a pot of money won't help situations unless its followed with a challenge to a thought process which perpetuates this behaviour. This will take longer but it has to start now.

— Funk Butcher (@FunkButcher) April 3, 2018

When we speak about the effects that music has on the kids, people are quick to dismiss it because they assume that we are saying that music is the sole cause of the issues out there. It isn’t but when combined with other factors it then becomes a problem

— Keith Dube (@MrExposed) April 3, 2018

People speak about how important respresentation in the media is meaning they acknowledge that what people see & hear has an influence & effect on them but want be obtuse & refuse when it comes to music

— Keith Dube (@MrExposed) April 3, 2018

The spike in crime slyly been caused by videoing/exposing culture, 10/15 years ago if there was a video it's being passed around person to person. Now if you get violated the whole of London, even the country, has seen you get beaten up or chased on imjustbait

— Ghadz (@shaolinwavy) April 3, 2018

Public violation needs a public retaliation that needs to be worse than the first one to keep your name. Girl gets beaten up in tinsel town, kill his sister. Smh

— Ghadz (@shaolinwavy) April 3, 2018

I think social media plays a huuuge part in relation to youth violence. Social media is basically their lives. They seek revenge for internet violations & even record themselves doing madness for internet clout

— Kvothe (@BolaBankz) April 3, 2018

There's something inherently wrong. We need to check on our young men and women because it's normal to think the only way to resolve conflict is death.

— (@MalibuandMilk) April 3, 2018

Being a parent in this climate must be fucking insane.

I get nervous for my friends when I hear something’s happened.

Imagine having a child that isn’t home yet. Nah that’s too mad

— Puddi (@PuddiSRC) April 3, 2018