New figures have revealed that one in six people convicted or cautioned for knife crime in Avon and Somerset last year were boys aged just 10 to 17.

The Ministry of Justice stats, analysed by RADAR, show that of the 429 knife crime convictions or cautions in the region in the year to September 2024, 74 (17%) were handed to boys – sparking urgent calls for action.

Most of the cases involving young offenders – 69 of them – were for possession of a knife or offensive weapon. The other five were for threatening someone with a blade.

Knife crime prevention charity the Ben Kinsella Trust has described the figures as a wake-up call, saying they point to a "deeply entrenched problem" affecting young men and boys.

Patrick Green, the trust's chief executive, said: "The fact that knife carrying begins as young as 10 and escalates with age, coupled with the lack of significant progress in reducing these numbers, demonstrates a deeply entrenched problem. To tackle this, we must address the specific factors influencing young males, including societal pressures, access to weapons, and the prevalence of violent content on social media.

"Targeted interventions, focusing on early intervention, education, mentorship, and addressing underlying issues like toxic masculinity and lack of opportunity, are crucial to breaking this cycle of violence."

Just three knife crime convictions or cautions last year in Avon and Somerset were handed to girls – mirroring the national picture, where boys made up 94% of child offenders in knife-related cases. Nationally, 17% of all knife crime convictions or cautions in the past year were also given to boys under 18.

The figures come as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called for more male teachers in classrooms to act as positive role models. In a speech earlier this week, she warned of "toxic online influences" targeting boys and stressed the need to "raise a generation of boys with the strength to reject that hatred".

Her comments follow growing national concern about how young people, especially boys, are being shaped by violent and misogynistic content online – a conversation reignited by the hit Netflix drama Adolescence.

Former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate also weighed in recently, saying too many young men were "searching for direction" and filling the gap with "a new kind of role model who do not have their best interests at heart".

In response, Netflix has confirmed it will make the series free to stream in all UK secondary schools.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also met with the creators of the show, saying he wanted to explore "what we can do as a society to stop and prevent young boys being dragged into this whirlpool of hatred and misogyny".

Meanwhile, the Government insists it's ramping up efforts to tackle knife crime through a mix of enforcement and early intervention.

Policing and Crime Prevention Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: "We will pursue every avenue to protect young people.

"This is why we are bringing in Ronan's Law to stop knives being sold illegally online, why we have banned zombie-style knives and machetes, and why we are delivering 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers to make our communities safer.

"We are developing a Young Futures programme which will intervene earlier, identifying and supporting vulnerable children to divert them from crime."

The Government has set a target to halve knife crime over the next decade, combining new laws with on-the-ground youth initiatives.

But with children as young as ten already in the system, campaigners say time is running out – and that real change will only come if the deeper issues behind youth violence are tackled head-on.