'Soft schools increase crime risk'

'Soft schools increase crime risk'

Lax standards of school discipline make pupils more likely to turn to crime and drugs, Government research has revealed.

The Home Office study found pupils at schools which were soft on violence and truanting more likely to break the law.

As a result, the authors urged ministers to consider toughening up discipline policies.

Worryingly, the survey of young people's behaviour found nearly three quarters were caught up in either crime, drug taking or anti-social behaviour over four years. Over a single year, the figure was 44%.

A hard core of prolific offenders carried out many more crimes than their peers, it found.

The group, making up around 4% of the total, carried out a third of all the crimes. They admitted to offences such as assault, theft, drug taking and criminal damage.

Young people in single parent families and those with siblings or friends were more likely to offend themselves.

Researchers asked 5,000 young people aged between 10 and 25 about their behaviour over the previous year. The survey was repeated in England and Wales every year between 2003 and 2006 to build up a detailed picture of their behaviour.

Although young men were more likely to cause trouble, up to half of teenage girls admitted wrongdoing. Children as young as 11 admitted taking hard drugs. Cocaine, ecstasy and LSD were most likely to be used by 19-year-olds but cannabis use peaked at age 16.

The report said: "Further consideration could be given to enhancing schools' disciplinary policies, given this report's finding that weak school discipline is related to an increased likelihood of offending and drug use."