People carrying knives are more likely to end up as victims. Weapons escalate arguments and confrontations - sending them out of control.
Videos of violence, rapidly shared on social media, can strike fear into teens watching. But for some, far from putting them off carrying a weapon, it has the opposite effect, even when knife crime is falling.
Police and schools across the country are grappling with this viscious cycle.
So how can you stop teens carrying knives?
North of England Reporter Jonathan Brown and Senior Producer Eleanor Gregory tell Lucy Watson what you need to know.
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Jonathan and Eleanor's teen violence investigations:
On the front line with police tackling teen violence - https://youtu.be/b6tXl5_uUEU?si=cD-coyIdRpc6SRmT
Inside a school lockdown as teachers drill for knife attack https://youtu.be/mWdsNPsbnZk?si=aZDVHCMQ-O-O_HkC