HANNAH THOMAS

Like many young women, Laura Jordan shops for pleasure. She also enjoys going to the pub, another activity popular with the young Scots surveyed.

Though the 21-year-old Heriot-Watt student now has an active social life, she used to "hang about" on the streets like half of the young people questioned.

"It doesn't surprise me that kids under 16 are doing that. Young people that age can't afford to spend money on normal' activities, so the streets are the only place where they can meet their friends," she said.

Thomas Ayton, 24, who is unemployed, agreed there was not much else for young people to do. "On the council estate where I'm from most young people stay with their family, so its awkward to have friends coming round," he said. "It's easier just to meet outside."

Mr Ayton and Ms Jordan believed young people were unfairly represented by the media. "I feel they're picking on people like me," said Mr Ayton. "It's terrible."

Ms Jordan also felt young people were often victimised by the press. "People are often wrongly stereotyped," she said.

While Ms Jordan, who lives with parents in Linlithgow, claimed to have a positive self image, it did not surprise her that 44% of the young women surveyed were unhappy with their weight.

She said: "Women's magazines are full of beautiful, slim people and everywhere you look there are skinny models advertising products. Normal girls can find it hard to live up to this."

Like one-fifth of the young people surveyed, Ms Jordan considers herself to be European.