Humza Yousaf has again hailed the Record's Our Kids ... Our Future campaign and has committed to tackling the epidemic of youth violence by using a public health approach.
Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday, the First Minister also vowed to write to the UK Government about a recent surge of sickening online clips showing brutal attacks on teens on social media. It comes after he was asked on how the Scottish Government plans to implement his £2m pledge to protect kids in Scotland.
Yousaf responded by committing his support to the Record's campaign for a second time, which calls for more community resources for youths and demands social media giants to crack down on removing damaging content of children. Our Kids ... Our Future also asks all adults in Scotland to play their part in protecting the wellbeing of young people by reporting violent online clips to social media platforms.
Yousaf said: "Can I, like many others have done, commend the Daily Record for drawing attention to an incredibly important issue. We must all confront the causes of violence, we must all address its consequences and minimise future victimisation.
"I would call on anyone who is experiencing or witnessing violence or seeing it on social media, as the campaign is highlighting, to report it. This is an issue for all of us in society to confront.
"I am aware that we do not have the power over social media platforms but I am aware that the UK Government does. The Online Safety Bill which is making its way through Westminster could be a means to ensuring social media companies take responsibility to contain violent content.
"So, I will be writing to the UK Government to make that case."
The Record's campaign was launched in February after schoolgirl Abbie Jarvis, then 12, was lured into a skatepark in Glasgow on October 4, 2022, and beaten unconscious in an attack which left her in hospital for two days. Abbie has since been diagnosed with PTSD at the age of 13.
Her case was raised by Tory MSP Russell Findlay, who asked the First Minister what he plans to do about young perpetrators.
Humza said: "I am really grateful for Abbie and her mum, Angela, for speaking out. I have read their testimony in the Daily Record on a number of occasions. What we are keen to do is to back the calls from the Daily Record in relation to ensuring that we work local authorities to ensure there are safe places for teenagers to go.
"We also want to do more work with social media companies to prevent violent content from being shared and that's why I will write to the UK Government on that very matter. But also the third ask of the Record's campaign is that every adult has a role to play so taking a lead in our communities to help our local children to feel cared for and included.
"I don't think the response to that is that we lock up every under 18 that is committing violence and simply throw away the key and forget about them and their future. What we have to do is make sure we are understanding what is the root cause of that violent crime and taking a public health approach to it.
"So, of course there should be consequences in relation to that violence, but it isn't about incarcerating young people. It is about ensuring that we work with them to reduce violence and taking a public health approach to that - something I am very committed to doing."
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