Intervene early to stop youth violence

By Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) - Barely a week has gone by this year without grim reports that another teenager has been killed on Britain's streets in violent, gang-related conflict.

More than 20 teenagers have been murdered in London alone, many the victims of shootings or stabbings, whose deaths have horrified communities and provoked demands for action.

On Wednesday, hundreds of police across the country took part in coordinated raids to tackle gun-related gun crime as part of a government-coordinated "Day of Action".

So what is the solution?

London-based international charity WAVE, (World-wide Alternatives to Violence) which specialises in youth violence and has spent years researching its causes, says the key point is to take action early.

Studies have concluded that by the age of just three, children will have learnt the traits that can lead them into violence in later life, WAVE's founder and chief executive George Hosking said.

By the age of six, it is possible to predict fairly accurately which children will end up involved in crime.

"Our research indicates that the prime period when violent personalities are created is between 0 and 3," he told Reuters.  Continued...