British kids 'behaving like animals'

More than half of all adults in Britain fear the nation's children are beginning to
behave like animals, a new survey has revealed.
Children's charity Barnardos found that adults had an overwhelmingly negative
attitude towards children, despite most youngsters managing to stay out of trouble.
The survey found 54 per cent of adults thought children behaved like animals, while
just under half (49 per cent) felt children were increasingly a danger to each other
and adults.
Forty three per cent said they wanted something done to protect adults from children
and 45 per cent believed that many children were branded feral because it reflected
their behaviour.
Half disagreed with the statement that children who get into trouble were
misunderstood and in need of professional help.
Barnardos chief executive Martin Narey said the survey had uncovered an "unjustified
and disturbing intolerance of children" in Britain.
"It is appalling that words like 'animal', 'feral' and 'vermin' are used daily in
reference to children," he said.
"These are not references to a small minority of children but represent the public
view of all children.
"Despite the fact that most children are not troublesome, there is still a
perception that today's young people are a more unruly, criminal lot than ever
before."
Barnardos commissioned the YouGov poll of 2,000 after the United Nations Committee
of the Rights of the Child urged Britain to act to stop the demonisation of
children.