"Generation gap" does not begin to cover it. More than 40% of adults in Scotland regard children as dangerous and think they are beginning to behave like animals. The climate of intolerance towards children, in which it is acceptable to describe them as feral, reflects a misplaced belief that young people are responsible for a significant amount of crime. The extent of distrust between adults and children uncovered by the children's charity Barnardo's has prompted it to take the radical step of using a television advert to change attitudes.

"Generation gap" does not begin to cover it. More than 40% of adults in Scotland regard children as dangerous and think they are beginning to behave like animals. The climate of intolerance towards children, in which it is acceptable to describe them as feral, reflects a misplaced belief that young people are responsible for a significant amount of crime. The extent of distrust between adults and children uncovered by the children's charity Barnardo's has prompted it to take the radical step of using a television advert to change attitudes.

Barnardo's has an obvious interest in changing such perceptions, but the extent of hostility towards children in Britain (over the UK as a whole, 53% said children were beginning to behave like animals) has already been identified by the UN's Committee on the Rights of the Child, which said this country needs to take "urgent measures to address the intolerance and inappropriate characterisation of children, especially adolescents, within society, including the media". The recent spate of serious crimes committed by teenagers south of the border appears to have reinforced negative attitudes towards young people, but the distrust is not supported by the facts: fewer than 1.5% of young people commit crime, according to Victim Support Scotland statistics, and the 2006 Scottish Crime Survey showed people aged 16-24 were most likely to be victims of personal crime.

With the vast majority of children and teenagers positively engaged in education, producing ever-better exam results, and many in extra-curricular sporting and cultural activities, it seems that most of the adults surveyed may have little interaction with youngsters. That is their loss. The demands of work and their own families make it difficult for many people to take part in voluntary and community groups, but increased bureaucracy is also a deterrent. Child protection procedures are necessary, but a less cumbersome system might encourage more adults.

There are children whose behaviour is anti-social and that should be tackled. In Scotland last year, 40,000 children were referred to the Children's Reporter as in need of care and protection, most as a victim of a specific offence - and the distressing case of Baby P is a reminder of what can happen if they do not receive help. Yet half of the UK respondents to the survey disagreed that children who commit crimes are in need of professional help. It is time to encourage rather than demonise children and direct intolerance towards the parents and carers who are failing them.