Author Topic: US, British Children Worst Off (Read 2314 times)

madambaster · « **on:** February 15, 2007, 05:36:45 AM »

The United States and Britain ranked at the bottom of a U.N. survey of child welfare in 21 wealthy countries that assessed everything from infant mortality to whether children ate dinner with their parents or were bullied at school.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6416209,00.html

Here are the full rankings:
1. Netherlands
2. Sweden
3. Denmark
4. Finland
5. Spain
6. Switzerland
7. Norway
8. Italy
9. Ireland
10. Belgium
11. Germany
12 = Canada
12 = Greece
14. Poland
15. Czech Republic
16. France
17. Portugal
18. Austria
19. Hungary
20. U.S.
21 UK

Full report (52 page pdf): http://www.unicef.org/media/files/ChildPovertyReport.pdf

Gblue · « **Reply #1 on:** February 15, 2007, 11:06:53 AM »

not remotely shocked

SomethingWild · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2007, 11:12:28 AM »

Quote from: madambaster;309075

Here are the full rankings:
1. Netherlands

Woohoo

If NL is the best, then I'd hate to think what it could be like in other countries..

ctz · « **Reply #3 on:** February 15, 2007, 12:32:49 PM »

I guess the list would be pretty much same with adults... Countries with good welfare system are all on the top.

Reniafan · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2007, 07:17:12 AM »

Quote from: Gblue;309226

not remotely shocked

yeah i agree, the U.S. is being retarted right now, cause of our president, focus too much on the war right now...

riOtkittin · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2007, 09:51:32 PM »

And I thought it sucked to grow up in Sweden... Maybe it didn't.. ^_^

Blu-Cherri · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2007, 11:19:05 PM »

I have to say I'm not surprised.
I could write an essay about this but I'm tired and lazy, i could write an angry summary if anyone wants to.
It involves parents that don't discipline children leading to lack of boundaries and confusion and ultimately to being baad.
i must stop myself from ranting, but it's so hard cuz it is actually rediculas what kids can get away with and YES this is related, neglect is a form of abusive and bullying is terrible in some places.

Tuffty · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2007, 11:22:02 PM »

The tabloids exploded this week with two similar stories on obese children. One story was on an 8yr old boy who weighed somewhere around 14st and a 9yr old girl who weighed slightly more. I think judging by those stories, it's little wonder we're at the bottom. The thing I don't get is, whenever the parents saw their child reach say, 10st, did they not sit back and think, 'hm, maybe he has a problem, should we do something here?' The other thing I don't get is the reaction. Our child is rapidly obese? Let's go tell the papers! That won't scar him for life!

You wonder what's at the heart of all these problems though? I presume it's the decline in numbers of nuclear families? Lack of inspiring role models?

Asmodai · « **Reply #8 on:** March 03, 2007, 08:09:02 AM »

Quote from: madambaster;309075

The United States and Britain ranked at the bottom of a U.N. survey of child welfare in 21 wealthy countries that assessed everything from infant mortality to whether children ate dinner with their parents or were bullied at school.

Essentially the report can say whatever the hell the authors want. There is no scientific basis for the criteria chosen or the relative weight given to each element.

This report warrants no credibility at all, and it's only real worth is to provide a few minutes entertainment by mocking it on the internet.

If they really wanted to help children, they'd fire everyone involved with it and spend the money on expanding school lunch and free breakfast programs which have been proven to work and to help children learn and get ahead.

Tuffty · « **Reply #9 on:** March 03, 2007, 08:30:13 PM »

^ True enough. I don't know if it's the same survey but apparently these results were obtained by asking children questions, which to me, isn't a great way of obtaining this information, even if it seems the most sensible. Children don't know the exact details of everything they do (you try asking a kid if they suffer from depression and see what type of answer you get), and the answers they have given could be forced in some way. I know when I was about 8 I got a questionnaire asking about my family life, exercise and so forth, but I didn't care, I just completed it as quick as I could.

testype01 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 03, 2007, 10:07:10 PM »

Notice that only 2 countrys from America made it in this ranking and none from Africa, Asia or Oceania. That tells you the great difference between Europe and the rest of the world.

Asmodai · « **Reply #11 on:** March 04, 2007, 05:26:59 AM »

Quote from: testype01;321500

Notice that only 2 countrys from America made it in this ranking and none from Africa, Asia or Oceania. That tells you the great difference between Europe and the rest of the world.

That Europe has more surveys?