Most readers in the UK will have heard the shocking news about a boy being stabbed by a fellow pupil at school ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/3240873.stm should take you to the story on the BBC Website) and the talk in the media about the "knife culture" among many young people, boys especially.
Inevitably this sort of tragedy leads to a call for tighter regulations or even a ban on whatever tool is involved. Yet knives were, not so very long ago, considered an essential part of growing up for a boy, and the responsible use of a pocket knife was an important sign of maturity. Naturally this became less common in towns than in the countryside, and these days it can well be argued that there is no reason for a typical urban dweller to carry a knife at all. The truth is, we are rarely so far from a knife at home or a pair of scissors at the office that we simply cannot function without our own pocket knife.
Somewhere along the line something has gone rather awry with the way we teach kids about knives. Or do we indeed teach them at all? Now the knife is seen solely as a weapon, a way to threaten or harm, to gain power and advantage. Knives are not toys, nor should they be viewed only as a danger. They are simply tools, and like a chisel or saw they need to be used with thought and skill. These things have to be taught.
I noticed in another part of the forum a rather splendid little knife designed for children, an excellent way of reducing the risks inherent in learning how to use a knife without having the item become a toy. In learning how to use a potentially dangerous, but immensely useful, thing like a knife children gain confidence, and also an understanding of what the tool can really do if used to cause harm. I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that our children really understand what they are dealing with and how to deal with it. Through that comes respect.
Knives have no culture. We are the ones who dictate that.
Inevitably this sort of tragedy leads to a call for tighter regulations or even a ban on whatever tool is involved. Yet knives were, not so very long ago, considered an essential part of growing up for a boy, and the responsible use of a pocket knife was an important sign of maturity. Naturally this became less common in towns than in the countryside, and these days it can well be argued that there is no reason for a typical urban dweller to carry a knife at all. The truth is, we are rarely so far from a knife at home or a pair of scissors at the office that we simply cannot function without our own pocket knife.
Somewhere along the line something has gone rather awry with the way we teach kids about knives. Or do we indeed teach them at all? Now the knife is seen solely as a weapon, a way to threaten or harm, to gain power and advantage. Knives are not toys, nor should they be viewed only as a danger. They are simply tools, and like a chisel or saw they need to be used with thought and skill. These things have to be taught.
I noticed in another part of the forum a rather splendid little knife designed for children, an excellent way of reducing the risks inherent in learning how to use a knife without having the item become a toy. In learning how to use a potentially dangerous, but immensely useful, thing like a knife children gain confidence, and also an understanding of what the tool can really do if used to cause harm. I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that our children really understand what they are dealing with and how to deal with it. Through that comes respect.
Knives have no culture. We are the ones who dictate that.
