Young Scot’s annual Truth About Youth survey ran from September 2024 to January 2025, and over 2,500 11- to 25-year-olds took part, sharing insights about life in Scotland, their concerns and the issues that matter most to them.
While most young people feel safe at home (89%), with their friends (69%), less than half (43%) of respondents reported feeling safe at school, college or university – with one in four young people identifying school as a place where they have felt unsafe. Thousands of young people shared experiences of feeling unsafe, often due to others’ behaviour – particularly the harassment of women in public and on transport.
The results also show that concerns extend beyond physical security. Young people reported being increasingly worried about lack of affordable housing, poverty, racism and prejudice and climate change – particularly the rising cost of living and how it will affect their future.