“In the pursuit of a more equitable and just society, it is important that we develop and use language that disrupts oppressive systems” ~ (Joseph Cooper, A Call for a Language Shift: From Covert Oppression to Overt Empowerment (uconn.edu))
Words hold power, especially when it comes to naming and representing marginalised communities. The choice of words can shape perceptions, reinforce stereotypes, and perpetuate systemic inequalities.
Dominant groups often have the privilege of naming and categorising others, while marginalised groups may have little or no say in how they are identified. This can lead to the use of offensive, derogatory, or inaccurate terms that reinforce stereotypes and perpetuate discrimination.
Additionally, the identity and self-esteem of members in marginalised populations can be significantly impacted by the name that is chosen. People's wellbeing may suffer when their experiences are named in ways that could feel disrespectful, hurtful and damaging.
“If we use terms that offend people then we may unintentionally be doing more harm than good. Understanding what is and isn't appropriate language is the first step to helping us have more confident and respectful discussions about these issues.” (Please, don’t call me BAME or BME! – Civil Service)
‘The Knock’ is the term that is frequently used to describe the event when police arrive at the home of someone who is suspected of involvement with sexual offences against children, usually online. It is a term that has become ubiquitous amongst innocent family members, affected by the life-changing trauma that follows this knock at the door (with it being for them an unexpected event).
The term has also been used by many support organisations and in blog articles, academic articles and news media articles, such as the pivotal ‘The knock that tears families apart’ ~ (Harriet Grant, The Guardian, 2021 The knock that tears families apart: ‘They were at the door, telling me he had accessed indecent images of children’ | Family | The Guardian )
It would not be possible to comprehensively list all sources referring to the event as ‘the Knock’ within this blog post. It is also worth noting that the term may be used in reference to a general knock at the door by police for other types of crime. It does not ‘belong’ solely to one community or another. Nonetheless, it has become an instantly identifiable way for members of the aforementioned community to define the traumatic moment when lives/ life changed forever and crucially, to be able to connect with others who understand.
Perhaps for people experiencing life-changing trauma (especially in the early days following the arrival of police at the door) wording might be the very furthest thing from their minds, and semantics, understandably, pale into insignificance in comparison to the enormity of everything else.
Why, then, does the terminology matter? A quick Google search of ‘the Knock’ brings up multiple results and links to sources of help. This instant access to information is certainly of benefit to anyone who has experienced the event. It is known that people often feel unable to talk to anyone about what has happened and will instead seek out online sources of advice, often located via Google search.
To understand and appreciate the application of the term ‘the Knock’, it is perhaps useful to also consider the evolution of the wording. A search for the etymology of the word ‘knock', brings up the result below:
knock (v.)
Old English cnocian (West Saxon cnucian), "to pound, beat; knock (on a door)," likely of imitative origin.
(To further define imitative origin: English imitative (onomato-poeic, mimetic) words. Imitative words (e.g. crash, bang, achoo) are words with iconic correlation between form and meaning, iconicity being a relationship of resemblance. (An Etymological Dictionary of English Imitative Words - Peter Lang Verlag)
The choice of word not only represents the event but also the sound evoked by the occurrence - it is an immersive moment indeed - the very word 'knock' being evocative of the sound that is made by the act.
Family members who experience the unforeseen event of the Knock are familiar with the term. It is a word that belongs to the community; a community who are subject to the invasion of several agencies; a community who remain at the mercy of media and professional narratives used to describe them; a community whose words and actions may be documented by state agencies, forming their own narratives around individuals and their families. Family members are often perceived to be powerless, vulnerable, naïve. The lived experience of community members is devalued and downplayed.
Perhaps ‘the Knock’ allows a sense of identity to an otherwise marginalised and unheard community - or at least, a reasonable section of that community. Nobody can (or ever should) claim to speak for everyone.
In recent years (certainly since 2023), it seems that the term ‘the Knock’ has been replaced in certain narratives by the term ‘the warrant’.
Why does this even matter? Firstly, it is unclear as to why this change has been made, and who has led or is leading the change.
Perhaps it might be useful to define what exactly is meant by a police warrant:
‘A search warrant is a written authorisation that allows an investigator to enter premises to search for material or individuals. Search warrants are usually issued by a court following an application by a police officer or other investigator. Most search warrants authorise the investigator to seize and retain relevant material found during the search.’ (Search warrants - GOV.UK)
Secondly, it is worth mentioning that there is not always a warrant in place at the point of the Knock, and more than that, ‘the warrant’ does nothing to describe the role of innocent family members. To be clear, this is in reference to family members (adults and children) who are neither perpetrators of crime nor classed as victims by law.
In fact, police are not necessarily required to obtain a warrant:
‘A number of Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) powers do not require a warrant to be issued.’(https://www.college.police.uk/app/investigation/investigative-strategies/search-powers-and-obtaining-and-executing-search-warrants)
It is crucial to understand that irrespective of whether there has been a warrant or not, the term does not describe the involvement of family members. The term is ultimately unrelated to people who are neither classed as perpetrators nor victims.
It is also worth mentioning that not everyone has a physical knock at the door. Although many who do not have this initial knock by police go on to endure a series of knocks and intrusions from various agencies ranging from social services to probation to ViSOR team.
There has been concern from areas of the community that the narrative is being changed and questions are being asked as to why. Perhaps the strength of feeling is a symbol of the powerlessness many have felt in the face of the stories that are told about us by agencies, by society and of course, by the media clickbait headlines (even and perhaps especially in the many of the articles purporting to help us – they continue to monetise outrage and anger, with innocent family members victims of this!).
Susan Smith discusses this topic more widely in the latest episode of The World According to the Knock podcast ‘Nothing About, Us Without Us’
Community members were asked to submit their views on the use of the term 'the warrant' and the term 'the knock'. Views were collected by several community members, across WhatsApp groups, Zoom groups, by email, from two well-known forums and a well-known support service was invited to collect views of its participants and of any professionals who wished to contribute. The principle of this blog post is to open discussions and to bring this issue into the light.
If any member of the Knock community reading this blog post has not had the opportunity to make a comment, please feel free to submit your views to anniehopewriter@gmail.com . If you are a professional using the term ‘the warrant’ to describe the experiences of family members who are not currently classed as victims, we also welcome your views. The selection of quotes published below are shared (where is has been possible to seek the permission of people who submitted their views).
The Knock / The Warrant - Feedback from The Knock community
“My thoughts on the term ‘warrant’. This isn’t what happened to me. Or to my children. We didn’t have a ‘warrant’ apply to us. The knock did happen to us. It describes what happened. There was a knock at the door. There were police outside and a police car at the end of the driveway. I can still remember it clearly. It’s a trigger actually having a knock at the door. Anyone who has been through this relates to the knock. Warrant doesn’t come close to describing that.”
"The word ‘warrant’ is an innocuous word and doesn’t begins to describe the affect the so called ‘knock’ brings to an innocent family who are obviously unaware that a member has, allegedly, committed an offence.
It seems somewhat archaic that a household can be virtually brought to its knees by something as innocent as a knock on the door! This, in their past, indicated a visitor or a delivery. Both, in their own way some kind of pleasant surprise. Until ‘The Knock’ when lives are ruined inextricably.
What about the poor children and spouse of said family? Why does it have to be so early. Early enough to traumatise those in the house when swarms of strangers barge in and roam about their house, their private and until then, place of safety ie their haven. That, in one fell swoop is removed from innocent partners and children.
Speaking of ‘innocent’. What about ‘innocent before proven guilty. There has to be another way and another word or phrase to encapsulate what that initial ‘knock’ or ‘warrant’ entails."
“What warrant? The police just break your door down literally by knocking. I don't like the term the warrant at all !!”
"The word warrant is related to document and justification. This does not represent the feeling and the effect it has on people as the word knock.
The word knock is similar as strike, blow or collision. What your brain and body goes through is a blow, like someone thrown a hand grenade at you. Huge shock to your system. The knock comes first, since it is out of the blue, we had no idea what was coming. Second step is the warrant when we are aware something is not right."
“The Warrant feels like such a calm and civilised process. In reality it’s a huge banging on the door and for us, entailed then barging in before waiting for an answer. If anything, it appears to minimise the impact of the knock. We have adopted that word as a community as it appears to convey the shock / being knocked off our feet / the offender being knocked into reality etc. If they should change it to anything then maybe ‘the bomb’ would be more fitting?! The term should be led by the community impacted as only we know how it all felt.”
“I feel the term, ‘the knock’ conveys the shock and trigger of a knocking on the door for a long time afterwards.”
"I prefer the term the knock. Warrant for me is the piece of paper they needed legally for them to enter my house. I think I have strong feelings about the ‘informal interview’ the police do/did initially in the police station and I think they really need to stress how important it is to have legal representation, that my son was entitled to an appropriate adult and not downplay the situation, be realistic about the limbo time while they investigate and realise what a life changing and ripple effect that knock has on many. Families should have automatic help and sign posting too."
“Although I use the term The Knock when I'm in communication with others in my situation, I also use the term warrant more often purely due to semantics. I did not receive The Knock. I was at work when I received a phone call from the DI in charge of my (now ex) partner's arrest, who informed me there was a warrant to search our house, and if I couldn't get home within the hour the police would force entry. They were waiting for me when I arrived at the house.”
“It is ridiculous changing it to the warrant. ‘The knock’ on the door is the first thing that happens. Very often early mornings and complete surprise. Before you’re given or even shown a warrant, you’re in a panic as you have all these officers at your door. And also, it’s ‘The knock’ that haunts us. I can’t tell you how many times people knocked on the door afterwards and I shit myself.”
“I didn’t get the knock as was approached by the police on my return home from dropping my partner . The person under investigation at work . I think the awakening !!!! is a much better word as for most of us it has opened a can of worms and we all find out more. Some will have a gut feeling something isn’t right others not . Our lives will never be the same we will never be the same but we are aware and our lives move forward as best they can . But we know !”
“The warrant segregates the community from each other. What about the families affected by vigilantes? They don’t have warrants. What about them? They are not included in the narrative being used. Yet again it feels as though our community is being segregated. That’s not what this is meant to be about. It’s about the whole community. ‘The knock’ is more of a universal term.”
"Personally I feel that warrant is quite a cold and official term used by the authorities. To me it takes away the human emotion that the families of those accused have endured. The knock, quite literally, is the moment when things completely flipped on their head, and I think it’s a good term to signify that. It is something we can all recognise, as this is usually (from my learned experience of others too), the way that the knowledge of what’s being going on, comes to light."
"I would say the knock describes it best I remember having to sign for the things they took, they were already in my house searching my rooms before I knew what was happening exactly. The sound of them knocking on the glass at 5am that day has haunted me every day I can’t stand the sound of someone knocking on glass windows and banging the door. For months I had disturbed, and sleepless nights convinced I could hear someone at the door knocking when there wasn’t anyone there. I had a ring doorbell with the footage of them coming into my house they didn’t ring the bell that morning they knocked the door. But I was watching them on the ring doorbell in bed as my husband went to answer the door. Again, I checked the doorbell at all hours of the night thinking someone was there."
""Warrant" depersonalises a deeply personal and traumatic experience. "The Knock" says everything. It is a physical experience, not an abstract idea. And that's what the Knock is for us. I heard the knock on the door and it was the moment that my life changed forever. I can hear it now. No other phrase comes close."
“I sometimes feel the knock doesn’t even begin to signify the impact of that bomb that explodes. There was a warrant for us but it feels like semantics and not worth the effort. Instead, the focus should be on supporting the children and families by this and to think of the devastation that is left behind after the knock or warrant.”
“I am not aware of whether there was a warrant or not for me, so I feel that the new suggested terminology doesn’t really work for me.”
“Personally, I've always been offended by the term as it appears to suggest guilt of the household, whereas that is unlikely to be the case. However, the warrant is inappropriate as there was no such thing."
“'Invasion' seems more in keeping with the overall effect of the event. Or perhaps, 'onslaught'.”
"We are challenged by our challenging circumstances and I am weary worn of being told how I must behave, in order to make progress because the bureaucrats are busy box ticking." At any rate, ‘warrant’ sounds ‘dead’ and ‘The Knock’ gives the police too much credibility and empowers them to ‘knock’ on too many doors. Haven’t they damaged enough lives already?"
“Although 'squeaky' clean, I have had my life devastated by the mishandling by authorities who, by their actions and involvement of social services, systematically removed any association with grandchildren (who had nothing to do with the situation and were unaffected) as well as my son and daughter-in-law.”
“Basically, the only thing that requires change is the 'far too eager' behaviour of social services, without the necessary knowledge to judge necessity of their invasion.”
“There was no warrant for us. Whilst the knock came originally from the police it's the continued knocking from social services for me that's led to the trauma.”
“It will always be The Knock. There’s no changing it, The Knock has clearly come from lived experience, even if academics try to change it, I am certain that the community using it will not."
“It is the knock at the door that first intrudes, the first any of us know about any of this. That specific division between before and after. The knock is the point in time that our worlds fell apart. Years down the line an unexpected knock may herald a Visor dropping by. And, despite my confidence that he has learnt a lesson the hard way, any forceful, unexpected, early morning knock still puts me right back there.”
“The warrant, that was upsetting with the realisation that we had been part of a plan for days, must have been on the radar for much longer. (I know, obviously, right?!) But The Knock changed my life.”
“If the academics need something to do then it may be more useful to campaign about naming names in the media. The destruction caused by naming names far outweighs the need to change the "knock" to the "warrant" what a waste of time, effort and money. It's only the community that calls it the knock not the gutter press.”
“I have no clue about the warrant thing. I wasn't home when the police arrived at my house, so I have no experience of the knock either. Police rocked up to my work later in the day to give me the news. Wish I had complained about that but wasn't in a good enough place for such a long time. The knock conjures up the emotion and fear that must run through the family members that are in the property at the time”
"When the police came to our door early one morning, obviously ‘the knock’
I wasn’t aware they had a warrant to search the premises? Not sure if they said they had one or not, I think I was in shock as to what had happened, and just accepted they could access our devices?"
“There was no warrant to search my home. The police used threat to enter the property. The knock was what affected me that day and continues to knock on my life many years down the line. My trust in police has been shattered. I view state agencies with suspicion. There was no warning for me of the catastrophic events that unfolded that day meaning that life would never be the same for my children. The warrant feels like police speak, designed to deflect their part in wreaking havoc on people’s lives.”
“I don’t think they should change the term …. A “raid” is often referred to as a knock for any police operation. I think changing the terminology would be a misrepresentation of the “ambush” that the knock actually is. The shock and surprise to families is not a calm negotiation serving of a bit of paper as the warrant suggests.”
“Fast decisions without consultations, that’s what’s happened in our marginalised community”.
“No one came to us to tell us their vision or story about what they were going to do with ‘The Warrant’. No one consulted us. We feel invisible by our supposed champions.”
My name is Annie Hope. I am a writer with lived experience as a family member of someone who had the Knock. I am a professional writer, and I am able to work with your organisation, charity or with you as an individual in a variety of different ways. Please have a look at my website to find out more.
I run a free writing group for family members of those who are convicted of sexual offences. You can find out more about the group here. You can find blog posts with free advice about writing and helpful tips in my main blog index here.
You can contact me by email anniehopewriter@gmail.com
Wonderfully written on behalf of a fantastic community who deserve to be listened to! ❤️