Children’s problems rooted in adults’ excesses
The Children’s Society has warned that the nation’s children are being threatened by excessive individualism and the aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults. A report from the charity, called A Good Childhood, claims that many problems facing today’s children can be traced to selfishness in adults.
It criticises ‘the belief among adults that the prime duty of the individual is to make the most of their own life, rather than contribute to the good of others’. It claims that the number of children experiencing significant emotional or behavioural difficulties rose from 8% in 1974 to 16% today.
The report, written by Lord Richard Layard, is the outcome of the Good Childhood Inquiry, the UK’s first independent national inquiry into childhood commissioned by The Children’s Society and conducted over three years by a team of 11 experts. Its findings are based on responses from 35,000 contributors, including children.
