Fears young people are behaving worse refuted

Young Scots are unlikely to be viewed as neighbourhood troublemakers by adults and their behaviour is no worse than 30 years ago, a new report into public attitudes has found.

But youngsters today lack “communication skills” and don’t take responsibility for their actions, according to the Scottish Government report.

The survey was published yesterday in the launch week of Year of Young People 2018 and examined perceptions of more than 1,000 adults towards 13 to 19-year-olds.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Too often, teenagers feel that others view them negatively simply because of their age. This can really have an impact on their own wellbeing and selfesteem.

“We must all do more to talk up our young people, showcase their strengths and instil them with self-confidence as they move towards adulthood.

“The Year of Young People is designed to foster more respect and understanding between generations. It will show everyone across Scotland just how talented our young people are but also how challenging their daily lives can be – contrary to what some of us might think.”

Adults generally have a positive attitude towards Scots youngsters, according to the research.

Almost half (43 per cent) of Scots said that the behaviour of youngsters is no worse than it was 30 years ago, while about a third 32 per cent did not agree with this.

About a third of Scots rejected the proposition that young people “cause trouble in their local area” while fewer than a quarter (23 per cent) agreed.

Asked if young people were lazy, about 41 per cent of disagreed, while 24 per cent thought they were. In addition, 41 per cent of said young people are “trustworthy’, while 12 disagreed. About two in five thought they were lacking in communication skills.

Older Scots over the age of 65 are often just as positive in their attitude as younger adults aged 18-24. The more negative attitudes tended to be among those aged 25 to 49. Positive attitudes were more likely to be held by people who had a relationship with a young person.

Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier this week that a major programme of events and activities to celebrate Scotland’s young people will take place in 2018.

The Year of Young People 2018 in Scotland will provide a platform to showcase the personalities, talents and achievements of Scotland’s younger generation.

scott.macnab@scotsman.com