Shocking murder rates among ethnic minorities are a sign of society's failure to protect young people, experts have warned.
Eighty-five per cent of people aged between 10 and 19 who died violently in London between 2007 and 2009 were from ethnic minorities, the London Serious Youth Violence Board revealed.
The board, which was set up after 30 young people were killed last year, said in a report that a poor daily structure and education as well as the experience of violence can be a "fatal combination" leading young people to have a "distorted perception of how to feel safe and survive."
It said analysis of recent murders found many of those involved had already been victims of attacks or knew someone who had been killed.
Black Mental Health UK director Matilda MacAttram warned: "The statistics need to be looked at in the context of national homicide rates or else all we'll do with these figures is reinforce stereotypes, which is simply not the point.
"It's very important that we take on board all the evidence when it's presented and we take action to address what we see as social ills.
"What these statistics show and what we need to take on board is the failure of society which is responsible for the upbringing of these young people and the protection of their safety, for example the failure of the police and the education system and the values it instils.
"These are all signs of these agencies' failure. It's all too easy when we have statistics like this to start to demonise and criminalise the group that is actually the victim.
"What we don't want to see is more overpolicing which will demonise and marginalise this group even more."
Penelope Gibbs, the director of a Prison Reform Trust campaign to reduce the number of young people in custody, said: "We need to do more to prevent violent youth crime in London devastating the black community.
"All the criminal justice and children's authorities need to work out how to protect black teenagers from being victims or perpetrators of crime," said Ms Gibbs.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/84348
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