Young teenagers who do not like school are more likely to become involved in underage sex and drinking, according to a research.

Happiness at school and home are key indicators of whether a child is likely to indulge in “risky” behaviour, according to a study led by researchers at the Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University.

The study questioned 3,641 children aged 11 to 14 living in north-west England about sex and alcohol use, as well as asking about their general well-being, including how happy they were with the way they looked, how well they got on with their parents, whether they liked school and how their teachers treat them.

The findings show that children who said they did not feel school was a nice place to be were two and half times more likely to be involved in any sexual activity, and 86 per cent more likely of having sex. The study adds that the latter figure is not statistically significant.

Pupils who said they disliked school were also more likely to drink alcohol.

The study, published in the journal Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention and Policy, shows that the odds of ever drinking alcohol were two-fold higher in children who said they did not like school.

Children who said they did not have a happy home life, or said they were unable to take to parents about their problems had the highest odds of ever drinking.

The study concludes: “Clearly, children involved with risky health behaviours are most in need of guidance and support through school programmes, but they appear to be the very children who poorly engage and are thus less receptive to learning new skills.”

The findings also showed a strong link between alcohol and sexual activity.

Lead researcher Mark Bellis, said, “Our study identifies that the children who drink and are sexually active are also more likely to be unhappy with their school and home lives.

“Such children can become disengaged from both family and educational support and risk progressing to sexually transmitted infections, teenage pregnancies or becoming an alcohol related casualty at an accident and emergency unit.