When pressure sounds like friendship
Recognising demands to prove loyalty, back someone up or become involved in something unsafe.
KNIFE CRIME AWARENESS
CHOICES THAT
CHANGE LIVES
Your next choice can open a different future.
A 50-minute session helping young people recognise harmful pressure, practise safer responses and think about the person they want to become.
50 minutesOne focused session
KS2 · KS3 · KS4Adapted to age and stage
Schools & youth settingsAssembly or group delivery
A FUTURE WORTH CHOOSING
More than a warning.
A reason to choose differently.
Young people can face pressure to prove themselves, protect a friendship or fit in. This session gives them space to recognise that pressure and consider a safer response, without presenting violence as inevitable.
Mark Stevens draws on his lived experience to explore how influences and decisions can affect relationships and opportunities. Personal storytelling connects with guided discussion about safety, support and the future pupils want for themselves.
WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE EXPLORE
Recognise the pressure.
Choose your response.
What happens under stress
Understanding fight, flight and freeze, and why stepping away and asking for help matter.
Safer choices around weapons
Exploring why carrying a knife is not a safety strategy, and why pupils should never pick up or pass on a weapon.
Your circle and your future
Thinking about friendship, aspirations and the everyday choices that help young people move towards the life they want.
WORDS TO PRACTISE
A safe response
can start here.
Pupils consider ways to say no, leave safely and involve a trusted adult. Seeking help is an act of protection.
“No. I’m not getting involved.”A clear boundary
“I’m going home.”A way to leave
“I’m telling an adult because this could get serious.”A way to seek support
KEY STAGES 2, 3 AND 4
The same hopeful message.
The right approach for each age.
Key Stage 2
Ages 7–11
Simple language and familiar situations focus on friendship, safe choices and trusted adults. Story details and media are adapted or omitted with school staff, avoiding graphic or frightening content.
Key Stage 3
Ages 11–14
Pupils explore belonging, peer influence and responses to unsafe pressure. The emphasis is on leaving safely, seeking support and understanding how choices affect others.
Key Stage 4
Ages 14–16
Older pupils consider more complex friendship pressures, responsibility and future aspirations, with discussion tailored to their maturity and the school’s local context.
We agree the content and accessibility needs with your school before delivery, including SEND adaptations, staff supervision and safeguarding arrangements. Pupils are not asked to share personal experiences.
THE MESSAGE TO TAKE AWAY
You are more than
your environment.
Move away from unsafe situations. Stay with safe people. Tell a trusted adult. Never pick up or pass on a weapon.
The session aims to strengthen pupils’ confidence to recognise pressure, identify support and choose a positive next step. It complements ongoing teaching and pastoral care.
FOR SCHOOL AND PSHE LEADS
A meaningful addition
to personal development.
Suitable for PSHE, assemblies and enrichment days, with relevant links to peer influence, personal safety, respectful relationships, help-seeking and aspirations.
At secondary level, these themes connect with the DfE RSHE guidance on personal safety. KS2 delivery focuses on age-appropriate safety and Relationships Education themes. Schools retain responsibility for their complete, sequenced curriculum.
Delivery focuses on practical responses and hope. It avoids fear-based messaging and does not imply that carrying weapons is common.
Read the DfE RSHE guidanceSTART A CONVERSATION
Help your young people
choose what comes next.
Bring CHOICES THAT CHANGE LIVES to your school or youth setting.