US, Britain indicted for being negligent towards children - UNICEF Report

Affluent societies like those in the US and Britain being pointed out as negligent towards their children, in an eye-opening report by UNICEF, does bring into focus the evils that have crept into family support systems for the young in wealthy nations.

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United Nations Children's Fund released a report, first of its kind, on Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-being in Rich Countries, in here it has been postulated that Britain is the worst country in the industrialized world which is failing to give children the best possible start in life, followed by the United States.

Britain lagged behind on parameters of poverty, happiness, relationships, and risky or bad behavior, just below the US.

The United States was judged worst for health and safety. The highest ranking for the nation was for education where it was ranked 12th out of the 21 countries.

Children's happiness was rated highest in northern Europe, with Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark heading the list.

The Conservatives in UK accused the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, of failing a generation of children, although the report's author, Professor Jonathan Bradshaw of the University of York, said the result was a consequence of two decades of chronic under funding in child health and education from 1979 to 1999.

British and the U.S. governments condemn the report

Britain said the report did not take account of recent improvements to education, health and general living standards in the country.

While, Wade Horn, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, said the study's standard of measuring poverty differed from that of the United States.

The study also gave the U.S. and Britain low marks for their higher incidences of single-parent families and risky behavior among children, such as drinking alcohol and sexual activity.

Are these findings closely related?

Well, I guess the findings are true to the extent of the social milieu. The social setup in west is such that children are prone to go into depression. Children are living with single parent or in step families, most of the youth are going in for drug addiction. In addition, the deep-rooted class system, which says that teenagers must fend for themselves, is rather incomprehensible.

Whatever happens next is quite rhetoric to the created situation, children face unhappiness and depressed lives.

Aren't these things enough to show why the condition of children is so deplorable?

Economically, the countries are progressing but its sheer disgrace on the part of authorities that children are being isolated from the arena of happiness, which is very essential for a successful and peaceful life.

What does it proves?

Does it show that a nation's wealth has nothing to do with what makes a healthy, happy human being? Or is it that the people are succumbing to the economic pressures so much that they are finding it difficult to create a happy family life?

Why is it not happening in Italy, Spain or Greece? Well, it's just because of a simple reason, public social spheres here are dominated by family groups and not by the loose bands of distraught youngsters on a spree which are common and unsettling in Britain and the US, where people like to spend their non work time in heavy drinking than socializing.

Government needs to share responsibilities

Children form an integral part in any country so the authorities must formulate certain legislatures that would be instrumental in safeguarding their rights. For this, the state must make it mandatory to support the commitment of both parents in rearing up their children's lives.

It means creating the structures, within the family and within schools and other institutions, to allow them to stretch themselves, find out what they are good at and take risks.

After all, what is the point of an economic target if it is met at a huge emotional cost?