Social Work Child Booze Cases Treble In Just Two Years

The number of children referred to social workers by police because they are abusing alcohol has more than trebled in just two years. Primary school children who are getting hold of cheap booze are among those who have been apprehended by police. Experts believe the numbers of referrals are soaring because children are experimenting with drink at a younger age, and police are increasingly cracking down on teenagers drinking in public. Last year in Edinburgh, 119 children were referred to social workers because of an alcohol-related incident which involved the police.

In the Lothian and Borders police force area, more than 20 of the 325 youngsters apprehended in 2005 were aged just 12 and 13. Inspector Martin Black, of the police youth justice department, claimed cheap drink and drunken behaviour among adults was encouraging children to drink.

He said officers had stepped up patrols in places such as public parks where it was known children gathered to drink.

Other policing initiatives have led to officers picking up youngsters for drunken behaviour after stewards at teenage discos turned them away at the door.

Insp Black added: “Vandalism and damaging property like smashing up bus shelters is the most common offence committed when young people are intoxicated – as well as minor assaults. There are also certainly cases where young people are in fairly intoxicated states where they are placing themselves in danger. But for first-time offenders, 75 per cent of the time a warning is enough to prevent them from ever coming to the attention of the authorities again.”

The number of children referred to social workers by police has more than trebled since 2003, when 35 children in the Capital were referred by police.

Figures obtained through freedom of information legislation also show there has been a threefold increase in the Lothians and Borders where 92 youngsters, including three eight to 11-year-olds, were referred in 2003.

Police have already referred 99 children in Edinburgh and 243 in the whole of Lothian and Borders, between January and June this year. However, they say less serious incidents are now being recorded, which would not have been previously, and that could account for some of the increase.

The majority of the children referred were aged 14 and 15, although one youngster was between eight and 11.

Social workers are responding to the majority of complaints by sending out letters to parents, informing them what has happened. But if a child is a repeat offender, then child protection or youth justice workers are called in to assess the situation.

A survey of 17,000 teenagers recently published under the Communities That Care banner, also revealed a massive problem with drink and drugs among young people in Edinburgh.

Outgoing council leader Donald Anderson said: “These figures are shocking, and we are very concerned that so many children have been put at risk through alcohol abuse.”