A hard core of 10 young offenders have been charged with nearly 250 crimes by police in Tayside over the past two years.
Tayside Police made 243 charges against youths under the age of 16 in 2011 and 2013.
The biggest offender is a Perth and Kinross youth charged with 29 offences, an average of more than two a month.
Offences included three charges for stealing a car, theft from a vehicle and one count of petty assault.
The remaining nine most prolific offenders in Tayside are all based in Dundee.
Of the 214 charges made against them, all but two are for crimes in Angus rather than Dundee.
The young offender with the second highest number of charges against them 27 was responsible for 14 petty assaults over the two years.
The third most prolific offender was charged in relation to 25 offences, including one count of sexual assault and rape.
Over the two year-period, children younger than 16 were responsible for five attempted murders. Seven youths were charged with these offences.
Last year one child was charged with sexual voyeurism towards a young child, where equipment such as a video camera is used to spy on a child under 13 without their permission for the purposes of sexual gratification.
The number of children charged for sending offensive or threatening texts and emails doubled between 2011 and 2012.
In 2011 there were 13 incidents recorded with 18 youths charged. Two of the texts were sexual.
Last year 36 incidents were reported to police, three involving sexual material, and 31 youths were charged for these offences.
In Scotland, the age of criminal responsibility is eight and children under 12 cannot be tried in court.
Even after the age of 12, most under-16s will be referred to the Children’s Panel rather than a court.
Outside Tayside, a Fife teenager responsible for apersonal crimewave has been charged with more than 100 offences by police in the space of just two years.
The youth, who was aged 13 and 14 at the time of the crimes, was charged with a range of offences including assault,housebreaking with intent to steal, theft and driving without a licence in the Glenrothes and Levenmouth areas in 2011 and 2012.
On average, the teenager was charged with one offence per week by Fife Constabulary.
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Liz Smith, who is also Conservative spokeswoman for education, children and young people, said not enough is being done to steer young offenders away from a life of crime.
She said: “It is a serious issue and very complex. Some of the initiatives the police have tried have been quite successful but more needs done.”
Ms Smith added schemes like the nurture schemes run by Glasgow City Council have proved successful in reducing youth crime.
Children with behavioural problems caused by a lack of poor care are identified when they reach nursery or primary one and given close support to modify their behaviour.
Ms Smith said: “We need schemes where somebody can work with the youngster to make them aware of the responsibilities they have the concerns society has about their behaviour.
“I know that costs but the evidence is overwhelming.”