Youth Violence
It was the first week at the alternative provision for Hasan. He found it okay. It was a 20 minute bike ride from his estate, this meant he had to go-through the town centre. Hasan didn’t feel safe as he heard there had been fights recently and possible beef in the town.
Hasan text his cousin Dylan, “just finished school, come meet me.”
When Dylan arrived, Hasan said “come let’s go back to the ends… let’s avoid town though.” Dylan told Hasan it was calm; as he was carrying. Hasan and Dylan were half way home. They heard shouting as they cut through an alleyway. Three boys were facing them. One boy from another postcode was coming towards them.
“You ain’t from around here; did I say you could pass through? Come here fam,” Hasan tried to joke. “It’s calm bro we just cutting through, we’re going.” Dylan jumped off his bike and went towards the group, reaching into his waistband. “Come Hasan, back me man.”
Hasan felt scared but the adrenaline took-over, his body was shaking and tingling. A fight started. Hasan watched Dylan wrestle with the other boy. Dylan dropped his knife. The other boy grabbed it and stabbed Dylan in his lower back as Dylan tried to get away. Dylan fell to the floor. Hasan was shaking and called an ambulance, using his coat to push down on the wound in Dylan’s back.
Hasan went to the hospital with Dylan. Dylan survived but he had serious injuries.
Hasan hasn’t been able to sleep, eat or talk about what happened. Hasan has been having ‘mad flashbacks’ and has been smoking more weed since it happened. Hasan has been less of a ‘loud joker’. His friends and his family are worried about him.
Dylan has been thinking a lot about what happened. People have been calling him ‘moist’ on Snapchat and Instagram. A month later, Dylan phoned Hasan and was angry, shouting at him
“Yo bro, I know where that man who shanked me is right now, come let’s go.”
What options does Hasan have?
Hood up, grab a bike and grab a weapon and go meet his cousin.
“That’s my cuz, I got his back… might help my mad thoughts to put this to rest.”
Say no to going.
“What will happen to Dylan if I don’t go? He already has injuries, it could be worse. Maybe I should talk to someone about this.”
Something else…
Youth Violence - Useful Links
- MYM Documentary – 18 minutes
Good discussion points around stereotypes and ethnicity and career goals/role models. - MYM Film – Deep It – 16 minutes
Young person describing his situation during a group session.
It looks at young people carrying a knife, victim injury results in wheelchair. - MYM Film – If Only – 20 minutes
True story scenes of domestic violence.
A guy’s girlfriend gets assaulted and he seeks revenge, but gets stabbed with his own knife.
Links to gun crime.
