US & UK are worst places for childrens' well-being

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According to a UNICEF "report card."

An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries

I think this is a valuable springboard for debate and thought; however I also think it's a mistake to make snap judgments based on the headline/conclusion. This is a complex study based on a particular set of judgments as to what constitutes child well-being. The study itself says over and over again there are problems with the data and the interpretation. For instance, age and gender differences are not adequately taken into account.

I will say this: In my personal opinion the US (as I can't speak for the UK) needs to do much, much better in the area of adolescent education and care. My own belief is that our education system sucks, and parents pay less attention to teenagers than young children, when they should be paying more! Teenagers are more vulnerable today than ever to peer pressure and the sheer pace and press of popular culture, and need to be kept close to home. The big difference here than in the less developed countries is that most of those places still have the extended family network in place as a safety net, which most of the industrialized countries have lost.

Finally, may I say, that I thank the heavens daily that I was born in this country in this century (well, okay--last century).

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