After the fatal stabbing of Kayden Moy, former head of Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit Graham Goulden has called for a deeper look at the reasons behind youth violence, arguing that focusing only on accountability misses the root causes.
The image that captured a chilling reality
An image of three young men walking away from the scene where Kayden Moy was fatally stabbed has been described as “almost impossible to comprehend.” It shows life continuing as if nothing had changed, a sight Goulden calls chilling.
When such tragedies occur, society rightly asks who is responsible. The justice system answered that question. But Goulden insists another deserves equal attention: why.
Accountability and understanding are partners
Goulden stresses that asking why does not excuse murder. “Accountability and understanding are not opposites. They are partners,” he writes. If the conditions that allow violence to develop remain untouched, the cycle continues.
No one wakes up capable of killing, he notes. Violence is often the end of a longer story. Key questions include what attitudes toward violence were normalised, what messages about masculinity and status were absorbed, and who laughed or stayed silent when early warning signs emerged.
The role of friendship and fear
Goulden points to a troubling moment many young men face: the fear of being called less than tough, of having their sexuality questioned, or of losing a friend. Yet many fail to realise that others also see the harm but do nothing.
“The biggest influence on a young man is one of his friends,” he says. While awareness campaigns about knives and social media are important, they are not enough. He calls for active bystandership conversations that speak to young men as friends with the power to stop a murder.
Reducing fear to prevent violence
Such conversations can raise awareness and correct misperceptions within friendship groups. “Reduce the fear. Create a sense of permission among friends to look out for friends. Suggest stopping a friend from committing violence is truly an act of loyalty,” Goulden writes.
Society is good at expressing outrage, holding vigils, and demanding tougher sentences, he notes, but less willing to confront the quieter behaviours that make violence more likely. Every culture teaches what is acceptable, and every community communicates what it will tolerate.
Prevention demands asking why
Goulden argues that waiting until someone is lying on the pavement with fatal injuries means missing hundreds of opportunities to change the story. Justice answers who; prevention demands asking why.
“If we truly want fewer names added to the growing list of young lives lost to violence, then asking ‘why’ is not a distraction from justice. It is one of the most important acts of justice we can perform for the next generation,” he concludes.
