ONCE upon a time any self-respecting teenager who called themselves a "ned" had to hail from a working-class background and drink Buckfast for breakfast.
But a new study has revealed that many middle-class teenagers now identify themselves as "neds".
Far from being derogatory, the term can be viewed as a badge of pride, the report suggested.
Researchers at Glasgow University interviewed more than 3000 15-year-olds from in and around the city, and found the link between so-called ned behaviour and a deprived upbringing was "surprisingly low".
About 13% of the young people they interviewed from more affluent or middle-class families identified with the label ned, or non-educated delinquent, compared with 22% from working-class backgrounds.
More girls (17.4%) associated themselves with the term than boys (12.7%).
Robert Young, of the university's MRC social and public health sciences unit, said: "It appears that, regardless of social background or gender, a significant proportion of young people self-identify as 'neds', participate in the stereotypical behaviours associated with the label, such as anti-social behaviour and alcohol and drug abuse, and share a lack of interest in education.
"Those who identify as 'neds' are not exclusively from disadvantaged areas.
"Instead, it seems part of the appeal of joining such groups may be to attain a better social standing within their own peer group."
A total of 3194 pupils from 22 schools were questioned on family background and cultural and lifestyle factors such as how often they read books, drank alcohol and played truant.
Among those who identified themselves as neds, 33.1% told researchers they had drunk Buckfast, a tonic wine often associated with ned culture, in the last week. The figure for "non-neds" was 6.4%.
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