![\"Youth](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757995512_671_0_CapturePNG.png\")
Youth violence campaigners Vicky and Kaylynn Donald outside Bute House in Edinburgh(Image: Daily Record)<\/p>\nThe Record has led the way in calling for efforts to tackle the epidemic of youth violence with our long-running Our Kids… Our Future campaignYouth violence campaigners Vicky and Kaylynn Donald outside Bute House in Edinburgh(Image: Daily Record)<\/p>\n
Young Scots are living in fear as a result of the SNP Government’s failure to stop a rise in youth violence<\/a>, Anas Sarwar has warned.<\/p>\n The Scottish Labour leader spoke out after official figures found almost 14,000 violent crimes were committed by children and young people in one year – with a sharp rise in rates of offending by kids aged 11-14.<\/p>\n Of the 13,695 violent crimes involving youths last year, 64 per cent were common assaults and 32 per cent were threatening or abusive behaviour.<\/p>\n But there were also 91 instances of under-18s carrying weapons \u2013 more than one instance every four days.<\/p>\n A 2023 report by the EIS teaching union found that 83 per cent of branches said their members faced incidents of “violence and aggression” every week.<\/p>\n The Record has led the way in calling for efforts to tackle the epidemic of youth violence with our long-running Our Kids… Our Future campaign<\/a>, which has urged the Government and local councils to ring-fence funding to make sure every community has a place for teenagers to go.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Alexander Dennis to continue bus building in Scotland as SNP Government offers \u00a34m furlough scheme<\/a>READ MORE: ‘Fight for Fergusons’ John Swinney urged to award CalMac contract to Port Glasgow shipyard<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking ahead of a visit to a youth centre in South Lanarkshire, Sarwar has said that the SNP has “turned away” from Scotland’s young people and left them to face rising crime alone.<\/p>\n “The facts are clear – Scotland is facing rising violent crime among young people and the SNP is doing nothing to tackle the situation,” he said.<\/p>\n “The situation is so bad that we now have reports of children carrying weapons and our classrooms have turned into dangerous spaces for too many students and teachers.<\/p>\n “But while the situation deteriorates, the SNP stands by and does nothing. I am not prepared to see an entire generation live in fear of rising crime.<\/p>\n “As First Minister I will act to keep young people safe.<\/p>\n “Scottish Labour will support our police, invest in our young people and take a zero-tolerance approach to violence in schools, starting by ban mobile phones from our classrooms.<\/p>\n “We cannot allow a generation to be failed – it’s time for a new direction for Scotland.”<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_usePNG.png\")
The Record’s Our Kids … Our Future campaign<\/p>\n