It’s deeply worrying to learn that youngsters were caught in possession of weapons on dozens of occasions last year.
One teenage boy was even caught with a firearm when stopped and searched by police in Fife. A 10-year-old boy was found carrying a knife in Edinburgh.
It’s important to stress the vast majority of Scots children would never consider carrying a weapon. But the fact some kids feel the need to carry weapons shows the issue is still a real problem.
So much more has to be done to help keep children on the straight and narrow and give them the guidance they need. We recognise that it’s not easy for everyone dealing with the problem.
Authorities now face a more modern problem of how to clamp down on violence being filmed and shared by youngsters on smartphones. Teachers and education staff also warn that abusive behaviour is a growing problem in classrooms.
The situation has become so bad at Kirkintilloch High School in Dunbartonshire that teachers will walk out this week after concerns were raised over regular verbal abuse and violent attacks. Workers at the secondary school argue there are no serious consequences for the students involved.
Staff should not have to put him with behaviour that would lead them to take industrial action. The Record’s Our Kids… Our Future campaign was launched in response to an epidemic of youth violence in Scotland.
Two years on, we still regularly report on shocking examples of youths who are only too willing to resort to violence. Something has to change and we can all play a part.
Generous Jim
Jim Murphy rose to the heights of British politics under the last Labour Government when he was appointed to the Cabinet. He did so despite a tough upbringing in the Arden area of Glasgow and after his family emigrated to South Africa.
Murphy is no longer in frontline politics but he still wants to help people just like him who were not born wealthy. NextGenArden has been set up to assist young adults who want to fulfil their dreams in the worlds of work, training or education.
People from affluent backgrounds do not have the obstacles others face and Murphy should be congratulated for his new project. Opportunities should not be restricted by dint of background and a lack of money must not be allowed to hold people back.
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