Violent crimes committed by children have soared to a record high, fuelled by attacks on teachers and care workers, according to new crime data.
The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) found the proportion of violent offenders under the age of 16 is at its highest recorded level.
The annual survey, carried out for the Scottish Government, also found violent crimes by children in a workplace accounted for nearly a quarter of the total.
The study said workplace-based violent crimes involving perpetrators under 16 appeared to be “mainly against workers in education or care roles”.
But it added that the figures are based on a “relatively small number” of people and “may fluctuate more each year depending on who happens to be interviewed”.
In total, 231,000 violent crimes were experienced by adults in 2023/24. The proportion of offenders under the age of 16 was nearly a third (31 per cent).
That was more than double the proportion in 2008/09, when it was 14 per cent, and up from just eight per cent in 2021/22.
The report said it is “unusual to see such a large change in a single survey year”, and that continued monitoring would be needed to see if the trend continued.
Incidents where the perpetrator was under 16 and took place at the victim’s workplace accounted for 23 per cent of all violent crimes in 2023/24.
That was up from just five per cent in both 2019/20 and 2021/22.
The report said: “The increase in violent crime [is] being driven by more occurring in a victim’s workplace, and those involving perpetrators under the age of 16.”
The study is based on 4,970 face-to-face interviews with adults aged 16 and over in Scotland, conducted between July 2023 and April last year.
Those who took part in the survey were asked about their experiences of violent crime and property crime and, for the first time, their experience of fraud and computer misuse.
In June, 1919 revealed police caught a child with a knife every four days in Scotland on average, while in January, we reported on a “huge rise” in the number of children accused of shoplifting.
Scottish Conservative justice spokesperson Liam Kerr said: “The SNP’s soft-touch approach to justice has allowed youth crime to spiral out of control.
“Nationalist ministers have shamefully weakened the justice system with perverse policies like the under-25s sentencing guidelines, which send a message to the public that serious crimes can be overlooked and go unpunished.
“It’s simply common sense that those who inflict violence on others should face consequences for their crimes, regardless of their age.
“Complacent SNP ministers must give our police the tools they need to crack down on this epidemic and ensure there is a return to discipline in our schools and deterrence in the justice system.”
But Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “The Scottish Government is taking decisive action to tackle youth violence through our comprehensive Violence Prevention Framework, backed by over £6 million in targeted investment since May 2023.
“We have also increased funding to the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit to £1.2 million this year to deliver increased activity to help steer young people away from violence including knife crime.
“We are working closely with key partners including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, Medics Against Violence, YouthLink Scotland’s No Knives Better Lives Programme, and Police Scotland Youth Volunteers to deliver targeted interventions.
“This coordinated effort ensures we address both the root causes of violence and provide swift action where necessary.
“I recently chaired a cross-party meeting on youth violence with the First Minister and we are actively developing additional measures to support young people, families and communities.”