Parents are key allies that policy makers, police and prevention specialists must engage in their attempts to reduce youth crime. For many parents, a knock on the door from police is the first time they are aware that their child has been involved in illegal activities. For others, the knock on the door is the culmination of months or years of worrying and not knowing how to respond to warning signs.

Young people and policy makers have a wide range of views on the effectiveness of education programmes in schools and advertising campaigns warning about the dangers of knife crime and gang activity. But there is a huge amount that parents themselves can do to talk to their children and tackle knife carrying and violence amongst young people.

Parentline Plus, the largest independent provider of parenting support in England, runs two projects which aim to support parents whose children may be at risk of becoming involved with violence. The projects help parents to spot the signs that a child may be involved in a gang or violent activity. Some behaviours to watch for are a withdrawal from the family, unexplained new possessions or a new nickname.

Efforts to reduce knife crime should focus on prevention and reach children before they have become involved in offending behaviour. Parentline Plus runs a project in Croydon, funded by the City Bridge Trust, which works with the parents of 8-13 year olds to help them feel empowered to communicate effectively with their children, talk about issues around violence using news reports to start discussions, and encourage parents to be good role models by dealing with conflict without anger or violence.

Parenting is a tough job and the fear that a child may be a victim of or become involved in violence can leave a parent feeling confused, powerless and out of control. Parents need to develop strategies for communicating positively with their children, talking to them about their hopes and worries and praising their achievements. That can be particularly difficult if parents themselves are experiencing difficulties such as mental health problems, divorce, or financial problems.

Parentline Plus is constantly developing new ways of reaching out to and supporting parents when they feel confused and alone, and helping parents reach out to their children who may be feeling the same. We run a specialist social networking and advice website giving parents of teenagers a space to support each other through the challenges and successes of bringing up teens www.gotateenager.org.uk