The average age of a young fatal stab victim is now 14, indicates an analysis of the causes of death among children and teens in England between 2019 and 2024, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Those of Black ethnicity are 13 times more likely to be fatally stabbed than their White peers, while children living in the most deprived areas of the country are 7 times more likely to die of their wounds than those living in the most affluent areas.
Experience of domestic abuse, violence, and adversity before death is also common, the findings indicate.
Serious youth violence and knife-related deaths remain a major public health challenge, prompting the UK government to announce in 2024 that it aimed to halve knife crime within the life of this parliament, note the researchers.
But information on exactly who knife crime victims are, their injury patterns, and the medical treatment given to those who died of their wounds have not been described in detail before, they add.
To plug this knowledge gap, and help inform strategies designed to curb the death toll from knife crime, the researchers drew on information submitted to the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) , the first database of its kind to systematically collate all deaths in children from birth up to the age of 17, which was set up in 2019.
The researchers looked specifically at the circumstances and factors involved in the fatal stabbings of children in England between April 2019 and March 2024. Rates of death were corrected for population size, using 2021 census data.
During this period, 145 children and teens died as a result of knife wounds, with a substantial increase in numbers from 2021 onwards. Their average age was 14 and nearly all of them (90%;131) were male.
The highest proportion of these deaths occurred in London (62; 43%), followed by the West Midlands (17), and the North West (16). Most (87%; 48) victims sustained multiple stab wounds.
Annual rates of death increased over time, with the highest rate seen in 2023–24. London had the highest annual rate of deaths per 100,000 children and teens, followed by the West Midlands. The lowest rates were seen in the South East and the East of England.
The annual rates of death per 100,000 children and teens were 40% higher in those of Black ethnicity: they were 13 times as likely to be fatally stabbed as their peers of White ethnicity.
And children living in the most deprived areas of England were 7 times more likely to die of their injuries than those living in the least deprived parts of the country.
Some 57 cases were available for detailed analysis, and this showed that injuries to the chest and neck were responsible for three quarters (76%; 44) of the fatalities, with over half (60%; 35) of these victims dying before reaching hospital.
Emotional and physical trauma featured prominently in these children’s lives. Three quarters of them (75%; 43) were known to social services before death, with a significant proportion (59%; 33) experiencing domestic violence and abuse. The loss of a key adult figure, through separation or bereavement, had been reported in half the cases (51%; 29).
Gang involvement was mentioned in 37% (21) of case files. Involvement with illegal substances was reported in 68% (39) of cases before death. Concerns around the child carrying knives were recorded in one in four (25.5%; 14) case files. And over half of the cases (60%;34) were recorded as being both victims and perpetrators of childhood violence.
Neurodiversity or mental health concerns had also been reported in half (51%; 29) the cases; 16 (28%) children had been referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
The researchers acknowledge that their study was limited to those with fatal injuries only, but they nevertheless suggest that their study: “highlights the importance of improving preinjury identification and support for children who are experiencing marginalisation and adversity.”
They add: “Our findings highlight the need for services to examine childhood experiences of violence and abuse both inside and outside their homes, and to confront the ways in which certain children from racialised and poor backgrounds may be overlooked for early intervention.
“From our sample, despite frequent contact with statutory services, many children lacked targeted support for [adverse childhood experiences], particularly [domestic violence and abuse]. This revealed critical gaps in early intervention.”
Emergency Medicine Journal
Data/statistical analysis
People
Preinjury, injury and postinjury factors leading to death in children and young people who were victims of knife crime in England between 2019 and 2024: a review of the National Child Mortality Database
20-Apr-2026