Young people think they have a negative image

A poll run by v found 70 per cent of young people surveyed said the public had a negative impression of them.

This was despite 44 per cent of respondents saying they did positive things for their communities and 57 per cent saying they gave to or raised money for charities.

Nearly half the young people surveyed said they thought their peers did things to justify the negative image the public had of them.

More than one quarter said celebrities gave young people a bad name, with troubled singer Amy Winehouse topping the list of those that give the worst image.

Even though 37 per cent of young people said their appearance gave them a bad image, just 18 per cent said they would change the way they dressed or talked.

The poll found the best way to improve the image of young people would be for older people to listen to younger people's opinions and involve them in decisions about communities.

Terry Ryall, chief executive of v, said: "We have reached a point where we should call a truce and start building bridges between the generations before communication completely breaks down."