David Cameron has said he wants to roll out his national citizen service scheme more widely than originally planned because the recent riots have highlighted the importance of teaching young people about responsibility and self-discipline.

The prime minister said he wanted the scheme to be available to every teenager after GCSEs so that young people could learn "that real fulfilment comes not from trashing things or being selfish but by building things and working with others".

In an article published in the Sunday Express, Cameron reaffirmed his belief that the riots illustrated the existence of "deep problems" in society such as a decline in responsibility and a rise in selfishness.

Cameron's analysis contrasts sharply with that of Tony Blair in an article in the Observer. Blair said Britain was "not in the grip of some general moral decline", and that instead the riots were caused by a particular minority, "the group of young, alienated, disaffected youth who are outside the social mainstream".

Cameron has already announced pilot citizen service schemes, which will involve teenage volunteers from different backgrounds working together on community projects. Some 11,000 teenagers will be involved in pilots this year, and 30,000 in 2012.

Cameron said the riots had made him reconsider his plans. "Before the riots we were already looking to roll this out across the country, with up to 30,000 teenagers taking part next year, but after the riots, I feel our ambitions weren't big enough," he said.

"I want the national citizen service to be available to every teenager after GCSEs. I want them to learn that they can make a difference in their communities and that real fulfilment comes not from trashing things or being selfish but by building things and working with others."

Cameron's idea is likely to be popular. According to a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times, 77% of people would support national citizen service being compulsory for young people.

Cameron said he wanted the police to be more visible on the streets. "We need a stronger police presence on the streets, deterring crime and catching criminals instead of filling in forms or wasting time on phony targets. That is what people want."

He said the "misrepresentation of human rights" had contributed to moral decline by undermining personal responsibility.

"We are looking at creating our own British bill of rights," he said. "We are going to fight in Europe for changes to the way the European court works and we will fight to ensure people understand the real scope of these rights and do not use them as cover for rules or excuses that fly in the face of common sense."