Drink, drugs, violence and under-age sex soars among the young
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Drink, drugs, violence and under-age sex soars among the young*
By LAURA CLARK -
Last updated at 14:28pm on 26th July 2007
UK teens are the worst behaved in Europe, according to a new report
British teenagers are the worst behaved in Europe, a report has revealed.
They are more likely to binge-drink, take drugs, have sex at a young age
and start fights.
The report, from a think-tank closely linked to Labour, says the
collapse of family life is at least partly to blame.
It means youngsters follow the example set by their friends rather than
guidance from their parents.
The damning verdict from the Institute for Public Policy Research was
revealed as ministers prepared to publish a blueprint aimed at keeping
teenagers out of trouble. It is expected to include more cash for youth
groups and other activities.
But the institute says radical measures are needed. It says many
disruptive youngsters will simply ignore out-of-school activities unless
forced to attend.
Its study found that 44 per cent of British youngsters had been involved
in a physical fight in the previous year - against just 28 per cent in
Germany, 36 per cent in France and 38 per cent in Italy.
Some 38 per cent confessed to under-age sex, almost double the French
figure. The same percentage had tried cannabis, more than five times the
rate in Sweden.
Our teenagers are also bigger drinkers, with 27 per cent admitting to
getting drunk regularly. In Italy, the figure is five per cent and in
France it is just three per cent.
The researchers found that UK children rarely talk in any depth to their
parents or sit down to family meals.
Just 64 per cent ate a main meal with their parents several times a
week, against 93 per cent in Italy.
They also spend more time 'hanging out' with other teenagers, meaning
they learn how to behave from each other and are not taught 'how to get
on in life'.
The IPPR also says British adults are becoming afraid of trying to curb
out-of-control youngsters. We are less likely than our European
counterparts to confront teenagers about antisocial behaviour and vandalism.
Ministers set the scene for the youth blueprint yesterday by announcing
an outlay of almost £1.4billion on out-of-hours homework, art and drama
clubs at primary and secondary schools.
The 'extended schools' initiative, where schools open ten hours a day,
is aimed at helping latchkey children as well as encouraging more
mothers back to work full-time.
But the IPPR wants 'a legal extension' to the school day to make pupils
take part in afterschool activities such as martial arts and cadets
groups, which have been credited with curbing anti-social behaviour.
Senior research fellow Julia Margo said: "Britain has a real problem
with its teenagers. But it isn't their fault."
She said the Government's youth strategy, to be outlined to Parliament
today, was an admission that teenagers had been left to their own
devices for too long.
But she warned: "The worry is that if the Government is too touchy-feely
and just offers teenagers the activities they say they want, we will
fail another generation.
"Every child should be expected to do at least an hour a week of
constructive after-school activities. They might not like it but the
evidence shows that the ones who don't want to do it are the ones who
would benefit the most."
The IPPR wants more pupils encouraged to follow pursuits such as Girl
Guides and Scouts, Army, Air and Sea Cadets, martial arts, drama clubs
and sporting teams.
The warning came as Schools Secretary Ed Balls said youngsters would be
able to stay on at school in the evening as part of plans to keep all
schools open between 8am and 6pm by 2010.
But despite the £1.38billion spending on the initiative, middle-class
parents will still face charges for some extra provision.
The IPPR report adds to recent disturbing evidence that Britain is among
the worst places to grow up in the developed world.
Unicef claimed earlier this year that British children were among the
unhappiest and unhealthiest in Europe.
Ministers have disputed that report but acknowledge that more needs to
be done to provide purposeful and constructive activities.
They plan a sharper focus on preventing anti-social behaviour before it
becomes entrenched, with the cost to society that entails.
Premier Gordon Brown is keen to promote activities which encourage
responsible citizenship, community service and volunteering and has
already championed the spread of combined cadet forces to state schools.
Mr Balls is understood to want a 'good youth centre' in every
neighbourhood.