Teenagers shunned in child popularity poll

Children are held in higher esteem than teenagers, a study
carried out for the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has
revealed.

A survey of citizens of all ages found that teenagers are on
everyone’s B list and the older children become the more
disliked they feel, according to the paper Is England
Child-Friendly Enough?

The study found that as children grow up they feel less welcome
in public places and are less likely to believe that most adults
are friendly.

Adults’ views echo these sentiments. Of those surveyed 53
per cent think that England is a friendly place for children while
only 36 per cent believe the same is true for teenagers. Over a
quarter believe the country is unfriendly towards teenagers.

Overall the findings suggest England has become more
child-friendly in recent years.

Just about all government departments and public organisations
acknowledge the value of involving children in decision-making,
says a fact sheet on the research.

The recent creation of a minister for children and the
ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are
further proof of a change in emphasis, it adds.

But not everyone is convinced. One in three adults interviewed
said they agreed with the view that the English love their dogs
more than their children

Overall, respondents felt England to be as child-friendly or
slightly less so than other countries. Parents though were less
enthusiastic. More than half of all mothers with children up to 19
said England was less child-friendly than other nations.

The full research on attitudes towards children and young people
will appear in the report Children These Days to be published in
2004.

– Dr Nicola Madge, Is England Child-Friendly Enough,
fact sheet from
www.ncb.org.uk/resources/child_friendly_factsheet.pdf