Top cop: Self-defence classes 'help' children amid school violence

By GRAHAM GRANT, SCOTTISH HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR Published: 00:04, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 00:04, 14 August 2026 Self-defence classes can be ‘helpful’ for children amid growing concern over youth violence, a senior police officer has said. Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said activities such as boxing and martial arts can help youngsters develop better control over their behaviour and emotions. Her comments came as Police Scotland launched a campaign aimed at tackling violence following a series of fatal stabbings involving teenagers. But Scottish Tory justice spokesman Stephen Kerr said: ‘Children should not be growing up feeling they need to learn self-defence because the SNP have allowed violence to become an increasingly familiar part of everyday life. ‘The SNP need to stop the talking shops, restore discipline in schools and toughen up our justice system before more families pay the price for their soft-touch approach.’ Official figures published by the Scottish Government in June showed non-sexual crimes of violence rose by 6 per cent in the past year, from 71,170 to 75,601. Cases of serious assault and attempted murder also increased by 2 per cent, rising from 3,024 to 3,075. Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton, right, said martial arts could help children control their behaviour and emotions Despite that increase, Ms Middleton defended Police Scotland’s strategy of treating violence as a public health issue rather than relying solely on traditional law-enforcement responses after crimes have been committed. This approach seeks to tackle the factors linked to violent behaviour, including poverty, family breakdown, trauma, substance abuse, adverse childhood experiences, school exclusion and deprivation. At the launch of Violence Prevention Week in Glasgow, Ms Middleton said: ‘We understand adverse childhood experiences, and we understand that inability to regulate behaviours at times. ‘Support mechanisms [such as self-defence] can be very helpful, but it is about that control and that regulation.’ Police Scotland said it had recorded the lowest proportion of under-18s accused of violent crime since 2020-21, suggesting fewer young people overall are becoming involved in violence. A video featuring the mother of John McNab has been released as part of a campaign highlighting the impact of violence on young people But Ms Middleton warned officers had seen an increase in attempted murders involving 16 and 17-year-olds as well as a rise in weapons being recovered from young people. Jimmy Paul, head of the government-funded Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU), said self-defence training could play a role in helping young people protect themselves in dangerous situations but should not replace broader efforts to stop violence occurring in the first place. He said: ‘Self-defence is about supporting young people if violence becomes an issue right in front of them at that time.’ A new video released as part of the campaign highlights the impact of violence on young people and features anti-violence campaigner Lisa Petrie, whose son John McNab, 22, died after being stabbed in Leith last year.