The number of Scots children accused of attempted murder has skyrocketed, deepening concerns about organised crime gangs exploiting youngsters.
A Police Scotland report revealed almost a quarter of the attempted murders between April and June involved an accused under 18.
The 17 cases involving 20 children compared to five such cases in the same period last year.
The surge coincided with a spate of apparent gangland attacks across Scotland which led to dozens of arrests as part of Operation Portaledge.
A recent report to the Scottish Police Authority, which oversees Police Scotland, said ‘bladed articles, striking with motor vehicles, and the use of flammable materials were all used in attempted murders involving children this year’.
There was also ‘an increase in these crimes involving adults as co-accused’.
Cases involving children accounted for 23.6 per cent of all attempted murders where a suspect was identified, with cases spanning nine of the force’s 13 geographical divisions.
The proportion of attempted murder cases featuring children in the same period last year was 7.2 per cent.
The report also highlighted ‘two homicides recorded during the quarter that involved four accused under the age of 18’ compared to three such crimes with three accused under-18 a year ago.
The developments are reported in the new edition of 1919 magazine.
Scottish Tory education spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘It’s hugely worrying to see a sharp rise in young people willing to escalate violence to this extent.
‘Every one of these incidents could have ruined their own life and ended those of their intended targets. It is incredibly serious.
‘It’s time the Scottish Government woke up to epidemic of violence in our classrooms and on our streets.
‘A series of soft policies in relation to young criminals have not worked, and it’s time to get tough on those who think attempting to take someone’s life is a reasonable course of action.’
The rise in attempted murders was despite a fall overall in serious crime involving children.
The reporting period, the first quarter of 2025/26, started shortly after the March death of 15-year-old Amen Teklay in a sword attack in Glasgow. Two teenage boys are to stand trial accused of his murder.
Kayden Moy, 16, was also killed following a disturbance or Irvine beach in May.
With all child offenders now held in secure care units rather than prison in Scotland, David Threadgold, chair of the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said a lack of a deterrent was ‘a real issue’.
He said: ‘There is no question adults are identifying young, vulnerable people and getting them to carry out crime. It’s a fertile ground for criminals to operate in and policing needs more resources to tackle it.’
Labour MSP Pauline McNeill added: ‘These figures are deeply alarming and must be a wake-up call to ministers about rising violent crime among young people.
‘Any adult who is found to be targeting young, vulnerable people and getting them to carry out criminal acts should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.’
Officers can use stop-and-search on children suspected of possessing weapons or drugs.
Between January and March this year, they successfully searched 119 boys and 27 girls across the country carrying a range of illegal items.
An 11-year-old boy in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, was the youngest caught with a knife.
In its report, Police Scotland said it aimed to reduce violence involving children and ‘mitigate the associated harm’, with a dedicated group, Operation Stardrop, led by a Superintendent coordinating efforts.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: ‘We continue to tackle youth violence through education programmes, effective consequences for offences, appropriate police powers and sustained school and community engagement with young people.
‘The Scottish Government has made it crystal clear there is no reason to ever carry a weapon, including a knife, at any time.’
School support staff are wearing protective clothing to help prevent injuries from physical attacks by pupils.
A leading union has revealed ‘a dramatic escalation in violence and threatening behaviour’ after new data showed a 20 per cent hike in assaults and abuse on their members.
But yesterday First Minister John Swinney denied claims it was commonplace in classrooms and corridors and called the violence ‘definitely unacceptable’.
‘Many support staff no longer get ready for work but ready for trouble,’ GMB Scotland’s Keir Greenaway said.
‘Our members are being hurt and abused on a scale that would be absolutely unacceptable in any workplace. Any workplace, apparently, but our classrooms.
‘Many support staff tie up their hair to stop it being pulled and they are wearing long-sleeved, protective vests beneath their clothes to protect them from scratches and bites.
Mr Greenaway told the Daily Record: ‘That is the daily reality for many of our members whose fears have been ignored for years while the authorities wring their hands but do little more.’
In Glasgow, the number of incidents rose by 30 per cent in 2024 to 6,081.
In Shetland, 1,794 incidents were recorded involving council staff, up 81 per cent on 2023.
First Minister John Swinney
Pulpils, some in primary schools, have had altercations with school staff
In Stirling there were 836 violent or threatening incidents in schools, up 16 per cent, the data shows.
The union obtained the figures through freedom of information requests.
Asked about the comments, the First Minister said the Government was working with councils and unions to protect school staff.
He said: ‘Violence is completely unacceptable in any part of our society and most definitely unacceptable in our schools.
‘So the Government has in place the guidance that we worked on with trade unions and with local authorities to protect staff and pupils in our schools.
‘Our schools should be safe places of learning and of work for individuals, and I want to make sure that guidance is followed, and we work collaboratively with trade unions and with local authorities to make sure that’s the case.’
He added: ‘Trade unions and teachers have worked with the Government in producing the guidance that’s now in place to ensure that schools are safe, that violence is not tolerated, and that the appropriate measures are in place to tackle violence in our schools where it is completely unacceptable.
‘Those measures are in place and the Government will work with trade unions and local authorities to make sure that’s the case.’
Figures released in October through a freedom of information request suggested Scotland had the most violent classrooms in the UK.
Some 490 reports of serious injuries to school staff in Scotland were caused by violence between 2014 and 2024, higher than England and Wales when adjusted for populations size.
Unions have warned that schools are becoming increasingly less safe for teachers and pupils, while a spate of violent incidents being recorded and shared online has also prompted concern.
Critics have warned the Scottish Government’s strategy for dealing with unruly pupils is too lenient.
The Commission on School Reform, set up by the think tank Enlighten, has urged ministers to issue new national guidance for schools which ‘lifts the pressure’ on head teachers not to use ‘serious sanctions’ against pupils when needed.
Its report argued that ‘schools should not be made to feel that the use of exclusion is contrary to national policy and likely to incur official disapproval’.
It called on the Government to issue guidance which ‘recognises the need for sanctions in maintaining a good learning environment in schools’ and which also ‘lifts the pressure on head teachers not to use more serious sanctions such as suspension’.