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RECORD numbers of Scottish youngsters are being referred to the Children's Reporter due to "bad parenting", with a huge rise in sexual offences and cases of neglect.The shocking figures, published today by the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA), show that more than 19,000 youngsters were victims of serious offences such as sexual assault, bodily harm and cruelty - a 12 per cent increase in the last year.A further 19,000 youngsters were also referred due to a lack of parental care.It also emerged that 154 unruly and vulnerable youngsters are being referred to the Children's Reporter every day - the highest rate since records began. That equates to a total of 56,199 for 2006-2007, a 4 per cent increase on the previous year.For the first time, this year's annual report saw an overall total of more than 100,000 referrals to the Children's Reporter, with 102,787 children, compared to 97,590 in 2005-2006.The damning report also showed that almost a quarter of all children referred on care and protection grounds were under four-years-old - a 12 per cent rise on last year.Adam Ingram, the children's minister, said:"Every young person deserves the best possible care. [The report highlights] how many children need the support of adults, agencies, communities and government."SCRA is at the centre of the children's hearings system - the child protection and justice system for young people in Scotland.The aim is to protect the safety and welfare of children while addressing their behaviour.Douglas Bulloch, chairman of SCRA, said:"[The figures] clearly indicate that the needs of children and their families have to be addressed much earlier. To achieve this, there must be effective responses in place in our communities to assist children and young people who have been identified as vulnerable."The most common grounds for referral involved the child being a "victim of a Schedule one offence", which includes cruelty, sexual offences, bodily injury and indecent behaviour against children - 19,485 children - and "lack of parental care" - 19,086 children.The number of children referred to the Children's Reporter for allegedly committing an offence fell by 7 per cent over the same period - from 17,641 in 2005-2006 to 16,490 this year.The report comes just months after it emerged that a £100 million crackdown on youth crime by the former Scottish Executive had no measurable effect on offending. While new initiatives such as antisocial behaviour orders and rehabilitation schemes increased the youth-justice budget by £101 million, from £235 million in 2000-1 to £336 million in 2005-6, the number of persistent young offenders has gone up.Among the most extreme cases recorded by the SCRA in recent years was a 15-year-old boy from Edinburgh accused of committing 800 offences, included car theft, joyriding,housebreaking and assault.Funding for youth-justice services run by councils, police, the Scottish Children's Reporter and others rose by 43 per cent, but auditors found little clear evidence that the money was well spent.e in the last year.As in the days of Noah....
