Mum of murdered Sheffield teen hopes to speak to pupils about dangers of weapons as 'School Wars' trend grows
The mum of Harvey Willgoose is hoping to go into schools to discuss the dangers of weapons as she raises fears around an ongoing social media trend encouraging youngsters to fight.
First starting in London, before spreading across social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat, the so-called ‘School Wars’ trend is seeing children place their local schools into ‘red’ and ‘blue’ categories before pursuing fights with opposing pupils.
Kids are being encouraged to use items as weapons to earn additional ‘points’ in this increasingly concerning trend that has caught the attention of South Yorkshire Police.
While officers increase their patrols around schools to help prevent any violence occurring, knife crime activist Caroline Willgoose has said she hopes to go into schools to discuss the dangers of weapons with children.
In a video published on Facebook, she said: “This needs to stop, this isn’t good.
“I want to go into these schools next week and talk to the children and get them to see the devastation that things like this are bringing to people’s lives.
“There’s too much happening in this world that’s too sad and we need to be together.”
Last year, Caroline’s son Harvey Willgoose was stabbed in the heart during his lunch break while attending All Saints’ Academy.
It has spurred Caroline to campaign for the installation of ‘knife arches’ in every school to aid with security.
”I know it’s peer pressure and I know you kids don’t want this,” she added.
“So let’s get talking about it, let’s get me into schools, let’s try and make things better because we know that things are going off in the world that are horrific.
“We need to stand together.”
Police have released a statement reassuring parents that they are continuing to investigate on the situation, but have asked for parents to speak to their children about their concerns online.
A spokesperson SYP said: “We are closely monitoring the situation across South Yorkshire and working alongside our partners in affected schools to offer support and reassurance. We are also carrying out frequent intelligence checks and actively monitoring relevant activity on social media.
“We won't tolerate violence or anything that threatens the safety and security of our communities. Any incidents reported to us will be investigated, and anyone found to be involved in incidents of violence or disorder can expect to be dealt with swiftly and robustly.
“While we carry out our work, we'd ask for parents to speak to their children about any concerns they may have in relation to this worrying trend, and the risks to themselves and others of engaging in violent behaviour.
“As always, you can report any suspicious activity or concerns to us online or by calling 101. If it's an emergency, call 999.”