Violence prevention: do shock tactics work?

[Karim Brohi]

Dear all,

I've recently been contacted by a company asking for help with a
government-sponsored advert aimed at reducing the epidemic of knife crime
that's going on in inner-city England.  (30% of our trauma patients on
today's in-patient census are stab victims).  The company wants to use
images to 'get through to young people' - basically using shock tactics for
effect.

My understanding is that shock tactics have been shown to have little effect
on the young, and especially for violence prevention - and all they do is
shock the average person in the street.  Am I wrong??  Any evidence to
support the use of such an approach?

Many thanks

Karim