POLICE are blaming a hard core of 200 youngsters - many belonging to gangs - for the bulk of York's antisocial behaviour.

And a senior York education officer is warning that the behaviour of a "small but significant" number of pupils in the city's mainstream schools is more challenging than ever before.

But a series of radical and imaginative initiatives aims to tackle the problems both inside and outside the school gates.

Safer York Partnership, who have identified the number of problem teenagers, say police, truancy officers and teachers are filling in Youth Action Forms when youths are spotted causing a disturbance outside school.

Under the system, parents and school are first sent letters asking for extra support and vigilance. If bad behaviour persists, youngsters and parents go a police station to discuss the problem, and if that doesn't work, police can pursue parenting orders, acceptable behaviour contracts, antisocial behaviour orders or other court punishment.

Inside school, City of York Council education officer Murray Rose says most children behave very well, with staff better at coping with difficulties now than they were 10 years ago, but heads are reporting they each have one or two pupils who are more difficult to manage.

He blames changing social circumstances, including parents working longer hours or commuting further, youngsters spending more time in their rooms with television or electronic games and less time within the "nurturing family", and more children seeing their mothers sent to prison.

"Safety concerns mean that fewer children 'play out' and there is less sense of community cohesion," he writes in the council's draft Behaviour Support Plan for 2004/05.

"The challenge is for agencies to work better together to provide timely and coherent support for these children, their families and their schools."

He outlined measures now in place or on the way to tackle misbehaviour and other problems:

*Counsellors will be available to every York secondary school by September to deal with complex, difficult young people.

"Therapeutic Lunchtime Clubs" are being extended for aggressive and bullying children, to engage them in positive activities.

Chill-Out anger management groups are being organised for some youngsters.

Self-esteem groups are proposed for Year 8 girls - aged 12 or 13.

He stressed that York fares better than other cities, and has some of the lowest permanent exclusions in the country.

The plan was produced after extensive discussions with heads, who raised issues about behaviour at meetings with the local education authority last autumn.

Sue Sayles, York and North Yorkshire council member for the National Association of Head Teachers, welcomed York's initiatives, and agreed that social problems were leading to a decline in behaviour from some pupils.

"The family unit no longer exists for many children," she said.

Updated: 10:46 Wednesday, June 09, 2004