Programme about Brianna Ghey finds that there is rising violent crime in Northern Ireland schools
There have been more than 1,000 incidents of violent crime in schools in Northern Ireland in recent years, a TV programme reveals today.
The documentary, to be screened tonight, uncovers what it says are “shocking official figures about rising violence in our schools”.
The new ITV1 and ITVX film, called ‘Brianna: A Mother’s Story,’ screens at 9pm tonight, featuring interviews with the mother of Brianna Ghey, 15, murdered in 2023 in England, as well as with detectives and friends.
Research for the programme has found that police nationally dealt with nearly 100,000 violent incidents in just three years, including an almost 25% increase between 2021/22 and 2023/24.
Over that same three-year period in NI, there was also an increase from 328 in the first year (2021/22), rising to 466 the next and dropping back to 428 in 2023/24.
There were 999 incidents of violent crime involving children under the age of 18 in the province in those three years.
While breakdowns are not available for all of the UK-wide data, most incidents involve children attacking other children.
The programme makers said: “While the documentary – airing at 9pm – focuses on the tragic events surrounding Brianna, it is bookended by Esther Ghey’s campaign to make the UK safer for children. The film uncovers shocking official figures about rising violence in our schools.”
They also said: “Esther is pushing for a government-led inquiry into peer-on-peer violence, why it is on the rise, and what can be done to stop it.”