Almost half of Britons think children are becoming 'feral' and starting to behave like animals, a Barnardo's survey suggests.
Nearly the same amount thought young people were angry, violent and abusive, with one in four saying badly behaved children were 'beyond help'. The figures, released by the children's charity on Thursday, show society holds a bleak view of today's youth.
More than 2,000 people were questioned by ICM Research, with 46% agreeing children are beginning to "behave like animals".
The survey also revealed:
- 44% agree children in Britain are becoming "feral"
- 47% agree the trouble with young people is that they are "angry, violent and abusive"
- 25% believe children who behave badly or anti-social are beyond help by the age of 10
- 38% thought children who get into trouble are not in need of help
The shocking statistics show a society seemingly willing to give up hope on its children, despite the thousands who do attend school, behave well and volunteer for good causes.
Barnado's executive Anne Marie Carrie called the results "depressing".
"So many people are ready to give up on children. What hope is there for childhood in the UK today if this is how adults think? We are unquestionably accepting a stereotype of young people as criminal and revolting.
She said there was a need for society to change their attitudes towards troubled children.
“It is a sad truth that those children who come across as angry and abusive have sadly often been scarred by their upbringing", she continued.
"But it’s never too late to believe in children and change their life story – it doesn’t have to end how it began."
Margaret McCabe, founder and CEO of Debate Mate says her company is based on "how amazing" children are.
"They're not feral at all. They're just kids and their parents are responsible for them. There's so much that can be achieved when you work with young people.
"There is also this mentality which doesn't seem to connect children with the present. Everyone says 'children are the future', and they are, but they're also here now. We need to invest in them now.