Violent crime and the use of offensive weapons isn't something that's going to go away overnight. Police recorded crime has increased over the last few years due to changes in recording practices and increased reporting by the public, which may leave many of you feeling like crime has spiralled out of control.

Changing attitudes

By using real-life weapons stories and experiences, the UK Youth Parliament London Region has produced a 10-minute film, Consider. "The film is really shocking," says 19 year-old Muhammed Iqbal, a Member of UK Youth Parliament (MYP). "It's real stories from young people who've been stabbed, or have gone into prison at a young age. I think it will alarm other young people who carry guns and knives. Most young people are less likely to sit down and speak to an adult. These are the views of young people who have experience of carrying guns and knives, and are telling their stories to warn others not to do the same."

"The point of the film is that it shows alternatives to violence in terms of things you can do before you consider getting into knife crime, because often the outcomes are extreme," says Angela Jhanji, 17 years-old, project leader for Consider and MYP for Hounslow. "We interviewed someone who is in prison for stabbing his brother 32 times, all because his brother cracked a joke and he didn't find it funny. Another guy had carried a knife from his kitchen for protection, but someone called the police and he was arrested - not that he used it, but it was just the fact he was carrying one."

Lyrical Wordz

Director and producer Wayne Campbell has lost friends through violent crime and has even been a victim himself. "I see that no good can come of carrying knives for protection, or as a fashion accessory," says Wayne. "One of the issues is that there is a lack of positive role models for young people to aspire to. Instead, they tend to look towards their friends or their peers to find the answers that they need. My short films, Lyrical Wordz, use spoken word to talk about crime in the inner cities. I worked with young men and women who have been involved in a wide variety of criminal activity. Many of these young people have experienced the negative aspects of crime and are now trying to help others not to make the same mistakes.

"We've used a lot of live action in the films - in one film you see a chap who's being stabbed by a group of youths. One of the things that we desperately wanted to do was make the pieces a bit more graphic. The poetry is great and works well by itself, but we wanted to make people go 'Damn!' Sometimes you have to use shock tactics to get the message across."

Feeling safe

What extra safety measures should be put in place? Here are your suggestions:

• "I want bigger and brighter lighting at night-time, especially in dark-lit streets," says 16 year-old Faiza.
• "There should be more knowledge and publicity over how to keep safe at night-time and what to do if you feel threatened," says 21 year-old Gemma.
• "I wish the public wouldn't be so scared to help someone who's in trouble. A while ago I had some problems when walking home, and despite making it quite clear that I wanted the guy to leave me alone and stop bothering me, everyone just walked past and ignored me and didn't even give a second look," says 20 year-old Sarah.
• "I think there should be better signage so I can easily work out where I am, as well as well-lit bus stops/taxi ranks/stations and more police presence around stations and streets," says 19 year-old Tamsin.
• "I don't know if it's just because white lights are usually on big open roads, but I feel safer on streets with white lights rather than orange ones. It also helps if they all actually work," says 22 year-old Mark.
• "It may sound daft, but I'd feel safer if they got rid of overgrown bushes and obstacles on paths. Also, it would be good if buses ran on time so I don't have to spend ages waiting at bus stops on my own, most of which are dark and out of the way," says 24 year-old Delanthy.
• "I think there should be more safety initiatives such as the 'Nite Zone' in Glasgow where extra lights have been fitted around the taxi rank in front of Central Station to make it brighter. They've installed cameras and better bus information and you can see more policemen around," says 20 year-old Jo.

If you'd like to see any of these safety measures brought into your area, you could try getting in touch with your local MP.

"If all of these things were talked about in schools, colleges and universities, then maybe young people would feel less threatened and see that using violence against others isn't the answer in the long run," says Angela. "If we encourage the Government to listen and appreciate the fact that we're not always going out to stab people and that we are also the victims, then hopefully things will improve in the future."

Updated: 03/09/2010