As a parent of teenagers, the fear of knife crime is a real one (The Argus, July 11).

However, I fear that jailing more teenagers could make the problem worse. Two years inside some of Britain’s most brutal and violent institutions may lead to our streets becoming even more dangerous when they get out.

I agree with many of Stuart Newton’s comment when he argues the adults of our society have some of the responsibility.

But he is wrong to say that young people in other, less violent European countries are “subject to the same pressures and temptations as British young people”.

Only recently, British children were shown to be the unhappiest in Europe. At school they take more exams than anywhere in Europe. The gap between rich and poor is widening and child poverty is officially going up. It was Margaret Thatcher, who tried to turn our culture into one of “everyone for themselves”, famously declaring “there is no such thing as society”. Britain also has one of Europe’s worst housing crises with huge numbers in temporary housing while poor families have little chance of getting a secure and affordable place to live except on some of Europe’s most neglected estates.

It is these teenagers at the bottom of society who are killing each other. Professor Gus John, who works with young gang members and their victims, recently wrote of an exercise he did trying to get a group of youngsters to write ten positive things about themselves. After ten minutes, less than half had reached four. However, it took them less than three minutes to list what they feared most: dying, being shot, being stabbed and having a loved one die. What a dreadful indictment of our society that the lives of so many of our young people are blighted by poverty and fear.

Until our politicians deal with these realities, our country will become more and more like that other “lock-’em-all-up” society – the US.

  • Dave Jones, Springfield Road Brighton

Knives cost lives, but it seems that playing games is acceptable. I was delighted to see that The Argus is starting a campaign regarding the senseless violence and current tide of stabbings (The Argus, July 11).

The Knives Cost Lives campaign is a worthy cause and I hope you have the greatest success with it.

How disappointed I was then to see on page 28 of the same newspaper, a full-colour advert for a new Xbox game Ninja Garden 2.

The game was described as follows: “Heads and limbs fly as you deftly wield Ryo Hayabusa, utilising his ninja abilities to run along walls, dash about scenery and douse everything in blood.”

It got a score of eight out of ten.

I believe this type of game or film excites the player into a false mental state. It suggests that this is an OK way to spend your time and that the killings are acceptable.

Scenes of mutilation no longer shock and weapons are seen to be acceptable.

  • Paul Robards, Griffiths Avenue Lancing

The Argus must be applauded for initiating its Knives Cost Lives campaign. The figures reveal that only a small percentage of offenders found with a blade in 2006 were locked up and out of those the average sentence was less than four months.

Clearly the alarming increase in everyday knife crime should be alerting this Government to take urgent action to increase the frequency and duration of prison sentences to match this unacceptable crime, sending out a clear message to anyone considering even carrying such weapons.

So what are the drastic measures currently being offered in the guise of shock tactics by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith? A sentence that threatens to lock up the offender for life or a good proportion of it? No. They are being asked to visit knife victims in hospital for a cup of tea and a chat.

What is happening to our country when this namby-pamby solution is the best that the Government is prepared to present to offenders who are unlikely to have any sense of community and compassion?

You can put my name down for your campaign. Let’s make it clear to this Government that the current situation can not be tolerated and must be reverted.

  • Darryl Marks Eaton Road Hove

I am a pensioner and I used to be proud of my country and felt safe, but now I am ashamed of my country and frightened because of this culture of knives and guns of the youth of today.

What is the matter with the parents who allow this yob culture? Are they frightened of their own children or don’t they care? It’s getting more like America every day. Come on, stamp this out once and for all.

  • Ron Bowman, Cowley Drive Brighton