An analysis of causes of death for children and teenagers in the UK from 2019 to 2024 shows the average age of young stabbing victims is now 14 years old, published online. Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Black people are 13 times more likely to be stabbed to death than white people, and children living in the most deprived areas of the country are seven times more likely to die from their wounds than children living in the wealthiest areas.
Findings also show that experiencing domestic violence, violence, and adversity during life is also common.
Serious youth violence and knife-related deaths remain a major public health challenge, leading the UK government to announce that it aims to halve knife crime in the lifetime of this parliament in 2024, researchers say.
However, they added that the identity of the victims of knife crime, their injury patterns and the treatment given to those who died from their wounds had not previously been described in detail.
To fill this knowledge gap and inform strategies to reduce knife crime deaths, researchers used information submitted to the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD). NCMD was established in 2019 and is the first database of its kind to systematically collate all child deaths from birth to age 17.
Researchers looked specifically at the circumstances and factors involved in child stabbings in the UK between April 2019 and March 2024. Mortality rates were adjusted for population size using 2021 Census data.
During this period, 145 children and teenagers died due to knife wounds, a number that has increased significantly since 2021. Their average age was 14 years, and almost all (90%, 131) were male.
The highest proportion of these deaths was in London (62, 43%), followed by the West Midlands (17) and the North West (16). Most of the victims (87%, 48 people) sustained multiple stab wounds.
Annual mortality rates increased over time, with the highest mortality rates seen in 2023-2024. London had the highest annual death rate per 100,000 children and teenagers, followed by the West Midlands. The lowest rates were found in the south-east and east of England.
The annual death rate for children and teenagers per 100,000 people was 40% higher for black ethnic groups, and they were 13 times more likely to be fatally stabbed than white ethnic groups.
Children living in the most deprived areas of England were also seven times more likely to die from injuries than children living in the most deprived areas of the country.
Approximately 57 cases were available for detailed analysis, which showed that three-quarters (76%, 44 people) of deaths were due to chest and neck injuries, and more than half of these victims (60%, 35 people) died before reaching hospital.
Emotional and physical trauma is evident in the lives of these children. Of these, three-quarters (75%, 43 people) were aware of having attended social services during their lifetime, and a significant proportion (59%, 33 people) had experienced domestic violence or abuse. Loss of a significant adult due to separation or bereavement was reported in half of the cases (51%, 29 people).
Gang involvement was mentioned in 37% (21) of case files. Illegal drug involvement was reported in 68% (39 cases) of pre-fatal cases. Concerns about children carrying knives were recorded in one in four case files (25.5%, 14 cases). and more than half of the incidents (60%;34) were recorded as both victims and perpetrators of childhood violence.
Half of the cases (51%, 29 people) also reported neurodiversity or mental health concerns. Sixteen (28%) children were referred to child and adolescent mental health services.
Although the researchers acknowledge that their study was limited to only children with fatal injuries, they suggest that the study nevertheless “highlights the importance of improving pre-injury identification and support for children experiencing exclusion and adversity.”
They added: “Our findings highlight the need for services to examine experiences of violence and abuse within and outside the home during childhood, and to confront certain children from racialized and poor backgrounds, situations where they may be overlooked for early intervention.”
“Despite frequent contact with statutory services from our sample, many children lacked targeted support for (adverse childhood experiences), particularly (domestic violence and abuse). This reveals significant gaps in early intervention.”
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Reference magazines:
Roberts, T. others. (2026). Pre-injury, injury and post-injury 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. Journal of Emergency Medicine. DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2025-215154. https://emj.bmj.com/content/early/2026/04/15/emermed-2025-215154
