Efforts to tackle teenage criminal gangs are patchy and often counter-productive, a report has warned.
Police, prison staff and probation workers have "missed significant opportunities" to rescue young people from lives of crime, watchdogs said.
They called on the Government to draw up a national strategy to support criminal justice agencies tackling the causes and effects of child gangs.
The findings were made in a joint report by criminal justice watchdogs responsible for overseeing prisons, probation and police.
Officials examined the work of youth offending teams and prisons holding young people to find how those on the front line were tackling gang crime.
Chief Inspector of Prisons Dame Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Probation Andrew Bridges and Chief Inspector of Constabulary Sir Denis O'Connor said many people working with teenage gang members feel they lack support.
In a joint statement, they said: "It is important not to exaggerate the extent of genuinely gang-related activity among young people, or to assist its growth by glamorising it. However, where such activity does exist, it is pernicious - affecting the safety and well-being of those involved, as well as the safety of their families and the community.
"Research showed that there was no integrated joint national strategy on gangs to support criminal justice and community agencies in tackling causes as well as effects.
"Agencies had therefore missed significant opportunities to work with young people involved or likely to get involved in gangs. Such an approach is overdue.
"It is welcome that there have been some more recent initiatives by the Youth Justice Board, but there remains a need for much greater co-ordinated action at national, inter-agency and inter-departmental level."
