It's like you've got the Tates, toxic influencers and the world's pick-up artists.. and now you've invited them into your home

Warning over alarming surge in youth violence

-  DAN VEVERS

SCOTLAND'S former violence reduction tzar has warned toxic influencers such as Andrew Tate and Covid lockdowns are fuelling a terrifying new wave of youth violence.

Karyn McCluskey, who headed the pioneering Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in the early 2000s, told the Sunday Mail that today's youth now face "a different reality".

It follows an alarming eruption of violence among young men in Scot- land, including the tragic alleged murder of 15-year-old Amen Teklay in Glasgow earlier this month.

In schools, figures released last week point to a worrying rise in violent incidents, with more than 24,000 this school year so far - on track to meet the record-breaking total of 40,000 in 2023-24.

McCluskey, who now heads up public body Community Justice Scotland, is widely credited with helping turn the tide on knife crime in Glasgow 20 years ago with her work with the VRU and ending the city's status as murder capital of Europe.

But she warned youngsters and teens now face a more challenging reality.

She said: "These kids are living a different life from what I did.

"These kids are digital natives, they are online. They're having conversations with people globally, not just in Scotland or in their scheme or whatever else, they are connecting to a whole range of hideous stuff.

"We are too slow to catch up, too slow to realise what's happening to them, how they're getting changed, how their behaviours are getting changed."

McCluskey highlighted how new hit Netflix show Adolescence has sparked a conversation about online influencers, misogyny and social media bullying.