Partnerships vital to dealing with violent youth crime - Patricia Clark

With themes including violence, social media, incel culture, misogyny and exploration of masculinity, Adolescence became the proverbial talk of the steamie, and was discussed everywhere – including Parliament – with calls for it to be shown in classrooms up and down the country.

Chief Inspector Patricia Clark, Local Area Commander, South East Edinburgh

The show resonated with many people because those involved could easily have been someone in our own community, our own neighbourhood, potentially our own home. The discussion that was generated from people on viewing was ultimately geared towards “what can we do to stop this from happening here to our young people?”.

I recently listened to a talk on incel culture and the ‘manosphere’. The speaker evidenced clear links between the messaging that our young people have access to in the online space and violence perpetrated by men and boys. This is not just violence against women and girls, which, in itself is a significant focus for Police Scotland and partners, but, as shown in Adolescence, violence perpetrated towards men by other men. It also includes violence directed towards self, including self-harm and suicide which we know affects so many in our communities.

With such significant societal impacts influenced by the same source, we need to collectively interrupt that messaging to prevent our young people causing and coming to harm. We also need to provide opportunities for our young people to build positive relationships and experiences.

What is important to note, however, is that none of this will replace a robust approach to any violent or disorderly offences committed.

On that note, I want to also recognise the recent incident in the Rose Street area of the city centre on Saturday 18th January, whereby pictures of individuals armed with weapons started circulating on social media. Swift arrests were made in connection with this matter, which was an isolated incident. We are committed to tackling crimes of violence and this includes removing dangerous weapons from our streets and bringing those responsible for such offences to justice.

Weapon-related incidents are not unique to the Capital and cities across the UK are grappling with similar patterns – young people feeling pressure to carry knives, disputes escalating too quickly, and social media amplifying the conflict. These issues are complex, but they are not insurmountable. Our approach recognises that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. We need prevention, partnership and presence. Having recently taken over as Local Area Commander for South East Edinburgh, which includes the city centre area, I know that there are many excellent partnerships addressing this area already, and I look forward to getting to know everyone involved and collaborating on this vital piece of work.

If you wish to share your views on policing in your area, please speak to us or share your feedback via the YourPolice survey, which can be found on the Police Scotland website.

Chief Inspector Trisha Clark

Local Area Commander, South East Edinburgh