Knife violence on the increase in Australia.

A review of the recent Australian data indicates an increase in the use of knives for homicide offences, while their use decreased or remained steady in relation to robbery, sexual assault and kidnapping/abduction.

The review ‘Knife crime’ in Australia: Incidence, etiology and responses by Dr Lorana Bartels illustrates an upward trend in the use of knives where violence is the primary intention of the perpetrator. That is the perpetrator is not using the knife as a threat to obtain something, such as money or to establishing dominance such as in sexual assault.

The knife is not being used as a threat at all.

Working in the security/protection industry, when a perpetrator showed you, they had a weapon, that perpetrator did not want to actually use it.

They wanted you to know they had it so you would hesitate in confronting or arresting them and so they wouldn't have to use it.

The most dangerous situation was when the first you knew about the presence of a weapon was when it was being used to cause you real and immediate harm.

When the perpetrator comes at you already striking their only intention is to cause you harm.

They do not negotiate and are unlikely to communicate at all.