Cheating's wrong but lying and littering are ok say teenagers

A picture of Britain's youth was revealed today in a government report on teenage life.

While most 16-year-olds apparently think it is wrong to draw graffiti or cheat in exams, many find it acceptable to lie, drop litter, push into a queue and buy alcohol under age, the study said.

Only a minority identified themselves with their country while respect for authority figures such as teachers and the police was in sharp decline. The report, for the Department for Children, warned of a crisis as future generations turn their back on society.

The study comes amid concern over standards of behaviour among teenagers and the decline of moral values. It marks a blow for the Government's education reforms as lessons in citizenship have been compulsory since 2002.

The National Foundation for Educational Research surveyed 11,000 pupils aged 15 and 16 for the report, which showed a "general downward trend" in attitudes.

They found astonishingly few pupils were prepared to criticise bad, or even illegal, behaviour.

Two-thirds refused to condemn drivers who break the speed limit and respect for the law was seen to decline as children grew older.

Girls and Asian pupils were more likely to agree with laws banning graffiti and underage drinking than boys and those from other ethnic groups, the report said.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, however, said the report showed "a very positive picture of young people".

Most of the Year 11 group are "generally law-abiding with a strong sense of what constitutes considerate behaviour in society", she said.

"Unfortunately the majority of young people think they are portrayed negatively in the news and that there is not enough coverage of all the positive things that young people do."