Truly shocking - Boy, 15, dies after stabbing this lunchtime at a school in Sheffield.

No, it doesn't offend. If his family are decent people they will be devastated too.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Yes I admit to feeling bereft for both families tonight. Is this wrong of me?

Two families are devastated and broken tonight, admittedly one far far more than the other, but still. Sorry if that offends. My feelings are complicated. There are no winners in this stupidity.

I too feel like this. But am conflicted. I feel anger towards the child who did this but know that this child is also lost to his/her loved ones.
What a terrible waste.

So very very sad . I Also feel for both families x

I cannot imagine their pain tonight. I’d be howling with grief.

Back in the day stabbing of this sort would’ve been headline news for days,unfortunately now it’s hardly even news..
The government really does need to do something. I’m not sure what but they need to get their heads together and come up with something to stop this epidemic of knife crime…

Allira

Galaxy

Barleyfields child was of course safer in a middle class town than in an inner city school in a deprived area. Pretending otherwise is letting those children down.

But to think there were no drugs around because it was a nice middle-class area in a small market town is wrong.

The children were perhaps safer but nowhere was immune from the scourge of drugs and violence.

Thinking otherwise means being completely oblivious to the reality.

Saying that drugs weren’t in circulation is not saying that there were no drugs around. Of course there would have been. But not within my child’s small social circle 40 years ago. I am not ‘oblivious to the reality’. I grew up in a very smart town where there was a thriving drugs scene in the 60s. I’m not a fool.

Barleyfields

You seem to have some sympathy for the killer FGT. I couldn’t give a damn whether he’s ‘terrified, sobbing his eyes out’. And whether I have sympathy for his parents depends on how he acquired the knife and how much they knew.

I’m no longer shocked either, tanith. Scarcely a day passes without such a killing. I have no idea what the answer is but I question the culture and family lives of those involved and their educational record. I’m thankful that my child grew up, went to school and socialised in a white middle class market town. Gangs were unknown, and drugs weren’t in circulation. Nowadays it’s every parent’s nightmare unless, perhaps, they are very well off and their children attend an expensive boarding school where they might be exposed to drugs and alcohol, but not gang warfare and stabbings.

We don't know the background. The 14 year old might be a violent thug or he might be a quiet child who has been bullied mercilessly and carrying a knife due to fear. I wouldn't judge without the facts and a jury will be the people able to do that.

Just to a add I went to a rather nice grammar school in the 60s. A girl in the year below me stabbed a boy from the boys grammar on the bus one day. Fortunately he didn't die but I think that was luck not judgement.

Shinamae

Back in the day stabbing of this sort would’ve been headline news for days,unfortunately now it’s hardly even news..
The government really does need to do something. I’m not sure what but they need to get their heads together and come up with something to stop this epidemic of knife crime…

The stabbing by a girl at my school didn't get a mention in any papers not even the local rag.

eazybee

Lack of sanctions, lack of punishment; endless excuses and blaming everyone other than the perpetrator.
Complete lack of respect for authority.
Children unsupervised during covid, when most adults were off work or working from home?

This plus social media.

Very true, Skydancer. Social Media is up there as one of the main causes.

Galaxy

Barleyfields child was of course safer in a middle class town than in an inner city school in a deprived area. Pretending otherwise is letting those children down.

My friend decided to send her child to the most expensive school in our city as she felt she'd be safer. She later said to me what a fool she was as drugs were rife. As she said who is more likely to have the money the dealers wanted? Poor kid at the local comp or posh girls at expensive school.

If people want to pretend that middle class town/village schools arent safer than the inner city deprived areas that is up to them. I wont be joining in with the pretence.

I went to a very sedate private school for girls. Lovely area. All jolly nice.

Over the years I've come to realise that private school pupils were far more likely to have dabbled.

I only realised this in adult life, when mixing with folk from all backgrounds, that those who were at the local comprehensive were far better behaved than we were.

One of mine went to a very ‘posh’ school and drugs were so rife there she stopped going to their parties because of the pressure to participate. That was early 1990s.

It’s not TopTrumps Galaxy. Any school can have one or more pupils who are dangerous and unpredictable, and in possession of a knife.

It's not top trumps it's trying to help the children involved. I work in inner city schools. My children were much safer in the middle class village school. If we pretend otherwise we let those children down.

The point is though that it can happen anywhere. Who does it help by saying it’s worse in school A than it is in School B? Not the two teachers and a pupil in a nice rural Welsh school, for sure. All children deserve help, surely?

Because you cant address the problem. You cant prioritise or even identify the issues.

Casdon

It’s not TopTrumps Galaxy. Any school can have one or more pupils who are dangerous and unpredictable, and in possession of a knife.

Absolutely.

It is frightening to think that so many children not only carry knives but then aren't afraid to use them.

Today, a schoolgirl was found guilty of stabbing two teachers and another pupil at a school in Ammanford. She claimed she'd been carrying a knife to school for months.

Casdon

The point is though that it can happen anywhere. Who does it help by saying it’s worse in school A than it is in School B? Not the two teachers and a pupil in a nice rural Welsh school, for sure. All children deserve help, surely?

Yes, sorry, I see you posted that already.

Walk through security scanners like the ones in airports? Security guards in schools?

That wouldn't solve the problem of knife crime on the streets.

Galaxy

It's not top trumps it's trying to help the children involved. I work in inner city schools. My children were much safer in the middle class village school. If we pretend otherwise we let those children down.

My children were much safer in the middle class village school.
In the one they went to perhaps years ago unless they are still at primary school?

Times have changed.

I think the constant high levels of appalling violence on video games has a considerable effect. I know the link hasn't been "proven" but I don't believe it.

Yes, it desensitises.

Unfortunately SM is awash with stories/theories on this matter.
It seems the school was put into lockdown a few days previously because the same pupil made threats.