The number of teenage victims of violence has increased by a quarter in just a year as knife crime grows, research shows.
One in five (20 per cent) children said they had been victims of violence in the past 12 months, according to the study of 10,000 13 to 17-year-olds by the Youth Endowment Fund, a Government-backed charity.
The figure has increased from 16 per cent in the previous year and 14 per cent in 2022.
More than half of the incidences (61 per cent) of violence involving the children resulted in physical injury, equivalent to 440,000 children in England and Wales. One in 20 said it involved a weapon, while two thirds said they had been attacked multiple times.
It comes as knife crime in London has hit a record high and, across England and Wales, the number of annual offences passed 50,000 for only the second time since records began.
Nationally, the number of police recorded knife crime offences - which include the use of the weapons in murder, rape, robbery and threats to kill - have risen 3.6 per cent from 49,187 to 50,973. The only previous time the annual figures passed 50,000 was in 2020 when it reached 51,982.
Jon Yates, chief executive of the Youth Endowment Fund, said: "Too many young lives are lost or scarred by violence... We must do better at spotting which children need help and providing them with evidence-based support to change things and save lives."
One in 20 (five per cent) of those surveyed said they had carried a weapon in the past year. One in 50 (two per cent) said that they carried a knife.
One in six (17 per cent) of those who had carried weapons said they had done it with zombie-style knives - the street name given to weapons which are generally over 8 inches in length and often have a serrated edge - or machetes. Other items carried included screwdrivers or stabbing implements (25 per cent) and sticks, clubs or hitting implements (24 per cent).
Younger teenagers aged 13 to 15 were more likely to carry weapons compared to those aged 16 to 17, according to the research.
Significantly higher proportions carried weapons depending on their background. The number rose to 12 per cent if the child was classed as requiring special educational needs, 21 per cent for those suspended from school and 36 per cent for those who had been excluded.
Weapon-carrying rates are also significantly higher among those involved in "gangs" (44 per cent) and children targeted for criminal exploitation (35 per cent).
Nearly half (47 per cent) of those who carry weapons said they did so for protection, while 37 per cent said they were asked to carry one by someone else. Nearly a third (31 per cent) admitted to doing it to scare others and 18 per cent because their peers did it.
A separate report found some children as young as 11 were carrying knives.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) were disproportionately at risk of serious youth violence, according to the joint study by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HMI Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HMI Probation.
The report said: "Parents are very concerned for the safety of their children. We frequently heard of children carrying knives in order, as they described it, to protect themselves. The fear of knife crime among children is evident. Inspectors were alarmed at how many children and professionals told them that it is common for children to carry a knife. This included children as young as 11."
It found serious youth violence disproportionately affected young people with Send - particularly those who might be considered neurodivergent - and it has called on the Government and local agencies to prioritise the needs of these children most at risk of harm.
For many, fear of violence is now influencing their daily decisions. One-third of teenage children (33 per cent) said they avoided certain areas and 27 per cent altered their travel routes or avoided public transport to stay safe.
Additionally, more than a fifth (22 per cent) reported mental health problems - such as difficulties sleeping, reduced appetite and trouble concentrating in school which was directly tied to their fears.
The Endowment Fund, which evaluates the effectiveness of schemes for Government, has identified several successful interventions for reducing violence, including focus deterrence, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), trauma-informed therapies, sports programmes, social skills training and mentoring.
Reviews of international research suggest that CBT can reduce involvement in crime by up to 27 per cent. Mentoring programmes, which provide children with support and guidance from trusted adults, reduce violence by an average of 21 per cent.