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By Mark Easton
BBC News Home Editor
The aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults is now the greatest threat
to British children, a major independent report on childhood says.
It calls for a sea-change in social attitudes and policies to counter the
damage done to children by society.
Family break-up, unprincipled advertising, too much competition in education
and income inequality are mentioned as big contributing factors.
A panel of independent experts carried out the study over three years.
The report, called The Good Childhood Inquiry and commissioned by the
Children's Society, concludes that children's lives in Britain have become
"more difficult than in the past", adding that "more young people are anxious
and troubled".
According to the panel, "excessive individualism" is to blame for many of the
problems children face and needs to be replaced by a value system where people
seek satisfaction more from helping others rather than pursuing private
advantage.
A spokesman for the Department for Children Schools and Families said: "We know
there are still risks and challenges ahead for children and parents and that
there is more for us all to do".
'Tone deaf'
The inquiry has a long list of recommendations including:
abolishing Sats tests and league tables in English schools
a ban on all advertising aimed at the under 12s and no TV commercials for
alcohol or unhealthy food before the 9pm watershed
stopping building on any open space where children play
a high-quality youth centre for every 5,000 young people
"Individual freedom and self-determination bring many blessings," writes the
report's principal author, Labour peer Lord Richard Layard.
"But in Britain... the balance has tilted too far," he says.
Another contributor, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, suggests
society has become "tone-deaf to the real requirements of children in a climate
where the mixture of sentimentalism and panic makes discussion of children's
issues so difficult".
The panel, made up of 11 experts including eight university professors, says
its conclusions are evidence based.
But some of its findings on family life in Britain are bound to be
controversial.
Working mothers
It cites research suggesting that three times as many three year olds living
with lone parents or a step-parent have behavioural problems compared with
those living with married parents.
"Children with separate, single or step parents are 50% more likely to fail at
school, have low esteem, be unpopular with other children and have behavioural
difficulties, anxiety or depression," it argues.
"Child-rearing is one of the most challenging tasks in life and ideally it
requires two people," the report concludes.
It also suggests that having many more working mothers has contributed to the
damage done to children.
"Most women now work and their new economic independence contributes to levels
of family break-up which are higher in the UK than in any other Western
European country."
The panel has a series of recommendations aimed at improving the quality of
family life experienced by children:
a civil birth ceremony conducted by a registrar in which parents publicly
accept the responsibilities of parenthood
free parenting classes available around the time of birth
free psychological and family support if relationships struggle
rules making it easier for parents to stay at home to rear their children
Chief Executive of the Children's Society, Bob Reitemeyer, commissioned the
research which included more than 30,000 submissions from organisations and
children.
"Essentially the report brings a taboo into the open which is that we have to
confront our selfish and individualistic culture," he said.
"We need to realise that we are collectively responsible for the welfare of all
children and that together we can make childhood better."
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, is
studying the report.
Although government may be sympathetic to some of the inquiry's conclusions, it
is unlikely it will implement its radical proposals in the near future.
The government statement said: "The report mirrors the ambitious plan for
improving children's lives and outcomes we set out in our Children's Plan,
which aims to give every child the best chance in life, and we are pleased that
the review acknowledges the positive impact that the Children's Plan is already
having on children's lives.
"We know there are still risks and challenges ahead for children and parents
and that there is more for us all to do.
"But as the report points out, in many ways our children have never lived so
well - children are more educated, less sick, and more tolerant, and the
government is working hard to invest, help and support children and their
families to make Britain the best place in the world to grow up."