Is Social Media Really Fuelling the Rise in London's Violent Crime?

Over the last year, London has seen a sharp increase in murders and other violent crime, including stabbings, shootings and acid attacks.

Today, data released by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee showed that there were 157 murders in the capital during 2017/18, up 44 percent from 109 homicides the previous year. The number of youth homicides increased by 30 percent in the same time, from 26 to 34.

Political posturing has led to many causes being blamed for these dramatic increases: drugs, government cuts, a drop in police numbers, social media – but the truth is it's a complicated tapestry of factors, and there are no easy solutions.

In this episode of Yeah, But It's Not as Simple as That, host Sam Wolfson discusses the issue with Ceryl, a youth worker in London, and VICE UK's drugs and crime correspondent Max Daly.

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