VRU and its Young People’s Action Group welcome campaign victory following Met police decision to restrict knife imagery on social media

A group of young people working for London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) that have campaigned on the issue of images of knives posted online have welcomed a decision by the Met police to significantly restrict knife imagery on its social media channels.

The decision follows a campaign led by the VRU’s Young People’s Action Group (YPAG) who raised concerns that posting images of knives seized by the police on social media can contribute to a sense of fear in communities, particularly amongst young people. 

The YPAG published research in 2023 and carried out a series of targeted consultation sessions to share learning with young people, frontline police officers and community members.

Whilst the commissioned study found that the impact of knife imagery was not universal, further peer research found it was more profound for some young people affected by violence. For those at risk or affected by violence, the majority felt seeing images of knives made them feel unsafe, scared and worried about where they live.

A small number of young people even admitted they would be more likely to carry a knife after seeing images of what had been confiscated in their area.

Met officers also heard directly from the YPAG that social media images are also shared online by groups of young people that can lead to others picking up bigger weapons.

After having worked closely with the Violence Reduction Unit’s YPAG and listening to the views of young people and community members, the Met has changed and updated its social media policy. New guidance significantly restricts the use of knife imagery on social media channels with images to only be published when absolutely necessary to inform the public, and messaging to communicate and prioritise the positive work of officers in communities – one of the key ideas put forward by the YPAG.

Two former members of the Young People’s Action Group involved in the campaign have welcomed the decision from the Met and its approach to listening to young people and those often unheard.

Leonita Metaj said: “As a member of the YPAG, we heard consistently from young people that institutions do not listen to them and are not aware of the problems or issues facing communities.

“With the VRU, we were able to take the voices of those young people traditionally not heard direct to New Scotland Yard and to the Met. They heard about the impact posting knife imagery can have, not only in terms of it causing fear for some, but those posts being shared and leading to others picking up bigger weapons to feel safe.

“This work on knife imagery is an example of what change can look like. Our voices were heard and action was taken. This is a stepping stone towards what institutions should do to create truly impactful and meaningful change.”

Bipin Khanal said: “Since I joined the Young People’s Action Group in 2021, my main aim was to amplify the voices of people in my community who weren’t as lucky as me to find this opportunity. Through the knife imagery research, I was able to do just this. I put forward my views and the opinions of my peers, which led to influencing the Metropolitan Police to change its social media policy.

“This is a clear example of a public body institution, often criticised for not listening to people, actually listening and engaging with the communities it’s meant to serve. This change in policy was not just a massive win for the YPAG, it was massive win for those voices often unheard.”

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, who led the Met’s work with YPAG, said:

“Working with the Young People’s Action Group has been invaluable. Their insight and honesty have helped us rethink how we communicate about knife crime, ensuring our approach focuses on reassurance, prevention, and positive outcomes.

“This is a clear example of how listening to young people in our communities can drive meaningful change. We’re remain absolutely committed to tackling knife crime and this is another step we have taken to help make London safer for everyone."

Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said:

“We have made listening to and working with young people front and centre of our approach and the issue of knife imagery and its impact on communities is one we consistently heard.

“Our Young People’s Action Group took this campaign right to the heart of the Met, sharing what they heard and what they learned from young people. They also went armed with ideas and solutions to support the Met’s approach to communicating what it does effectively with communities.

“We really welcome the Met’s engagement with our young people on this and its decision to change its policy and goes to show what can be achieved listening to and working side by side with young people.”