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Record numbers of children in Scotland were referred to the Children's Reporter in the past year. The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration's (SCRA) annual report said 56,199 children - the equivalent of 154 a day - were referred. The figures represented a 4% increase in referrals in 2006/07 on the previous year and an all-time high. In Clackmannanshire, Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire, more than one in 10 of the child population was referred. The rise was due to the number of children (44,629) referred on "care and protection" grounds, which covers allegations of cruelty, sexual offences, domestic abuse and neglect. The statistics also showed that nearly a quarter of the children referred were under four years old. The most common grounds for referral involved the child being a "victim of a Schedule 1 offence". This includes cruelty, sexual offences, bodily injury and indecent behaviour against children. The figures also showed the number of children referred to the Reporter for allegedly committing an offence fell 7% in the same period, from 17,641 to 16,490. Douglas Bulloch, chair of SCRA, said: "These figures need to concern us all. "They clearly indicate that the needs of children and their families have to be addressed much earlier. "To achieve this, there must be effective responses in place in our communities to assist children and young people who have already been identified as being vulnerable." For the first time, the report saw more than 100,000 referrals - a child can be referred more than once. Of these, more than 30,000 gave no indication that compulsory supervision measures were required. Almost 90% of referrals came from police. .
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