UK children among Europe’s least happy

Children in the UK are among Europe’s poorest and unhappiest, suggests new research. British youngsters ranked 24th out of 29 nations after researchers looked at lifestyle factors that affect child well-being from obesity and pressures from schoolwork, through to poverty and housing. Underage sex, smoking, drinking and drug abuse all play a part in lowering the quality of life for British children.

York University researchers compiled the table, about youngsters aged up to 19, for the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) using mostly 2006 data. The Netherlands had the best ranking, while only Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Malta came lower than the UK. It echoes a report two years ago from UNICEF that put British children at the wrong end of a list of the 21 most advanced countries. That report cited family breakdown, drink, drugs, teenage sex and fear of violence as the issues confronting teenagers. “The last time a child well-being league table was published, British people were shocked that the UK came last,” CPAG chief Kate Green told the Daily Mail newspaper.“This time we need a frank focus on why other countries are doing so much better for their children. Public resolve and political action to put children first are more important than another round of hand-wringing.”

Britain's best score, 15th, was in children's relationships - including how easy they say they find it to talk to their parents and get on with their classmates. On material resources, the UK was 24th out of the 26 countries for which data was available."The UK position is particularly influenced by the high number of children living in families where no parent works. Only Lithuania and Poland do worse," said the report. CPAG says the current recession means many families are threatened with rapid income falls. "There is nothing inevitable about the UK doing badly on child wellbeing," it says. "The challenge should be to reverse this situation and put children front and centre of policy making."

England's children's minister, Beverley Hughes, added that the fact that a government department had been created to focus on children, schools and families showed the increased importance being given to children. "Our Children's Plan is our long term vision and it puts children and families at the centre of everything government does," she said. "Our policies have lifted 600,000 children out of poverty and halved absolute poverty. Policies announced in the last two years will lift around a further 500,000 children out of poverty.”

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children