Last month Unicef released a report entitled Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries. The organization says it's the first study of childhood across the world's industrialized nations.
The report looked at 40 indicators from 2002-2003. Some of those indicators included: Poverty, relationships, and health.
The report's "Child Well-Being Table" ranked Canada 12 out of 21 countries. The United States came in at the 20th position, while the UK finished at the bottom.
But what particularly interested me was the comment of Jonathan Bradshaw who teaches at the University of York (UK). As one of the authors of the report, he said the UK's poor rating was due to long-term under-investment and a "dog-eat-dog" society.
Bradshaw added that: "In a society which is very unequal, with high levels of poverty, it leads on to what children think about themselves and their lives. That's really what's at the heart of this," he said.
It's no surprise there's economic inequality in wealthy countries like the United States, Britain, and Canada. But the report is identifying that wealthy societies are failing their children in other ways too. A "dog-eat-dog" society has tremendous impact on family and peer relationships. And children are paying the price.
Political leaders in wealthy countries rarely talk about this "dog-eat-dog" culture. We often hear about "traditional values," but it's usually used as a weapon to denigrate opponents. But we're lacking in a discussion on how children are doing in a culture that places so much emphasis on class, status, work, and income.
This isn't an easy subject to talk about. But it's critical we address not only the material well-being of children, but how they're doing in terms of healthy relationships and behaviour.
What's particularly important is that children have a healthy home life. That's where their sense of security is born. It's also where they learn emotional literacy.
But for some time, families have faced serious challenges in society. This isn't news, but it's too often forgotten. In a recent Nation magazine article Ruth Rosen talks about the "care crisis." Among other things, she reminds us of the "time-bind" families encounter. Rosen writes that: "Americans' yearly work hours increased by more than three weeks between 1989 and 1996, leaving no time for a balanced life. Parents become overwhelmed and cranky, gulping antacids and sleeping pills, while children feel neglected and volunteerism declines."
The Unicef report reveals some troubling signs in wealthy industrialized countries. Political leaders in North America and the UK should look to convene a summit on the well-being of children. That summit should include people from all sectors who would confront the question of whether society is failing their children.
Children need attention. Sadly, the Unicef report received scant attention in the news media in North America. But the findings can't be ignored. So much time is spent analysing economic indicators like the Gross National Product and the Dow Jones. But when it comes to children, we're strangely inept at reading the signs of the times.
We need a societal shift in our approach to children. That begins with our political leaders who have a duty to make this a top priority.
Gerry McCarthy is Editor of The Social Edge.
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