Young offenders figures 'on rise'

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The first minister has been accused of breaking a promise to cut the number of persistent young offenders.

The charge was levelled by the Scottish National Party after figures suggested the level of offending had actually increased in recent years.

Jack McConnell replied that ministers were actively tackling the problem.

The parties clashed after a report said number of youngsters being referred to the children's reporter had more than doubled in the last 10 years.

There were a record 53,883 referrals in 2005-06, according to the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration's (SCRA) annual report.

The figure accounts for 6% of all youngsters and compares to a total of 26,862 referrals in 1996-97.

Things have got, and are still getting, worse Nicola SturgeonSNP deputy leader

The organisation blamed the increase on a "significant rise" in referrals on care and protection grounds.

The figure has risen by 179% since the SCRA was formed 10 years ago.

In 2005-06 the vast majority, 40,931, of children were referred for their own safety.

Of these, 19,000 were said to be in danger.

The latest figures show that for the first time the number of children referred on the specific grounds of "lack of parental care" - a total of 17,801 - was greater than the number referred for offending.

Youth offending

Some 1,388 were identified as being persistent young offenders.

In 2004, the Scottish Executive promised to cut the number of persistent young offenders by 10% by March this year.

The SNP's deputy leader, Nicola Sturgeon, said ministers had instead presided over an increase of 16% in the level of persistent youth offending.

"Things have got, and are still getting, worse," she said at First Minister's Questions.

These figures need to concern us all Douglas BullochSCRA chairman

However, Mr McConnell said the figures had increased because the executive had given priority to identifying such problem youngsters.

He said it had been essential to provide more secure accommodation and ensure that youngsters had opportunities for education, training and jobs when they left the system.

"That is the action this government has taken - identifying the right young offenders, ensuring that the system has the right powers to deal with them, ensuring that the system can tackle their offending behaviour if necessary by locking them away, and by ensuring that opportunities are available so they do not become career criminals as adults," he said.

Over the past 10 years the number referred to the reporter because they are the victim of offences has increased threefold to 17,331.

Of these the vast majority were victims in cruelty cases.

'Family breakdown'

While boys still make up the majority of cases, the proportion of girls has increased to 42%.

Douglas Bulloch, the chairman of the SCRA, said: "These figures need to concern us all.

"While they demonstrate there is now greater awareness of children's needs in relation to parental drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence, it suggests that such awareness has yet to convert into appropriate early intervention and support."

Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "What does that say about family breakdown in today's Scotland?

"We urgently need to review in Scotland why this distressing and depressing trend is escalating."