Scotland is facing a deeply alarming crisis as the number of children accused of attempted murder has skyrocketed by an astonishing 900% over the past five years, according to devastating new official figures.
The statistics reveal a troubling pattern of organised crime networks deliberately targeting and manipulating vulnerable young people across Scottish communities.
A Nation in Crisis
Data obtained from the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration paints a grim picture: while only three under-18s faced attempted murder allegations in 2018-19, this figure exploded to 30 by 2022-23. This represents one of the most dramatic increases in youth violence ever recorded in modern Scottish history.
Police Scotland and child protection experts point to a calculated strategy by criminal enterprises who see children as 'disposable assets' - less likely to face severe consequences and easier to manipulate into carrying out their most dangerous work.
The Human Cost
Behind these shocking numbers lie shattered lives and broken communities. Children as young as 12 are being drawn into violent criminal networks, often through:
- Social media grooming and exploitation
- Financial coercion targeting impoverished families
- Systematic manipulation of vulnerable teenagers
- County lines drug operations expanding across Scotland
One senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told investigators: 'We're seeing children who should be in school instead being used as foot soldiers in territorial wars between rival gangs. They're carrying weapons and committing acts of violence that will haunt them - and their victims - for life.'
Systemic Failures
Child protection charities and youth workers report being overwhelmed by the scale of the problem. Funding cuts to youth services, combined with growing poverty and the aftermath of pandemic school closures, have created what experts describe as a 'perfect storm' for criminal exploitation.
The Scottish Government faces mounting pressure to address what opposition politicians are calling 'a national emergency'. Urgent calls are being made for:
- Increased funding for early intervention programmes
- Specialist police units focused on child criminal exploitation
- Stronger legal consequences for adults who manipulate children into crime
- Enhanced support for families in high-risk communities
A Call to Action
As communities reel from this unprecedented surge in youth violence, the question remains: how many more children will become both perpetrators and victims before meaningful action is taken? The time for urgent intervention is now, before another generation is lost to Scotland's growing gang culture.
