Antisocial behaviour and acts of crime are the result of children not making the proper transition from childhood to adulthood, says anthropology enthusiast Geoffrey Ben-Nathan.

He believes a formal, regulated rite of passage from childhood to adulthood is needed to prevent juvenile delinquency. He explains why in his recently published book, I’m Adult! Aren’t I! Understanding Juvenile Delinquency and Creating Adults Out of Children: The Case for a Formal Rite of Passage. In it, he investigates youth crime and outlines several policies for tackling it based on the methods used by other societies to develop their teenagers into adults compared to those in used Britain.

Mr Ben-Nathan, 64, tells People: “The book has been gestating inside me for 20 years. One of the main arguments is that there is a direct cause of antisocial behaviour and that is the lack of regulation of the transition to adulthood in the modern world.” He highlights Japan, where children are told of their place in society every time an adult talks to them.

A former social anthropology student at SOAS, Mr Ben-Nathan runs a manufacturing company but has a longstanding interest in youth crime. A report released last week by the Youth Justice Board revealed 277,986 offences were committed last year by children aged ten to 17 — more than one every two minutes. “Young people have too much time on their hands, money and freedom. It’s a real problem,” says Mr Ben-Nathan, who lives in Kenton, Middlesex.