Transcript Pressures on childhood - Diocese of Chichester

Pressures on childhood
Painting by numbers?
Mary Hawes
Chichester 2009
Painting by numbers
Number 1 – Every Child Matters
Government Agenda 2004

Staying safe

Being healthy
 Enjoy and achieve

Economic well-being

Making a positive contribution
Number 2 – Toxic Childhood
2006 – letter in The
Telegraph
Sue Palmer’s book
Maintain attention
Deferred gratification
Balancing needs
Number 2 – Toxic Childhood
We live in a moment of
history where change is so
speeded up that we begin
to see the present only
when it is already
disappearing.
- R. D. Laing
Number 2 – Toxic Childhood
Technology driven culture
evolving faster than biological
heritage
Human development happens in
‘slow time’ even if life is
happening at ‘electric speed’
Number 2 – Toxic Childhood
Toxic Childhood
Number 2 – Toxic Childhood
Negative effects:
Unhealthy food/couch potato
life-style/sleep-related
problems
Narrowing, test-driven school
curriculum
Real-life experiences
replaced by TV & computer
games
Celebrity culture
Number 2 – Toxic Childhood
Children’s needs:
Physical nurturing
Emotional and social support
Moral guidance
Number 3 – Innocenti Report Card 7
2007 report on child well-being
21 developed nations
6 dimensions of indicators:
Material
Health & safety
Education
Peer & family relationships
Behaviour & risks
Subjective well-being
Number 3 – Innocenti Report Card 7
UK in the bottom third of all but one
dimension, and overall bottom out of the
21 nations
Numbers 4 - 10
Technology
Numbers 4 - 10
Poverty
Numbers 4 - 10
Drugs & alcohol
Numbers 4 - 10
Gang culture
Numbers 4 - 10
Vulnerability
Numbers 4 - 10
Criminalisation
Numbers 4 - 10
The X Factor
A Good Childhood
Health - physical, mental, emotional
Lifestyle - leisure, fun, balance of time
Values and attitudes
Safety
Learning
and growth
Perceptions of the future
Love
Environment
Freedom
Support
Relationships
Fairness
Self
Respect
A Good Childhood
Health - physical, mental, emotional
Lifestyle - leisure, fun, balance of time
Values and attitudes
Safety
Learning
and growth
Perceptions of the future
Lack of love
Environment
Freedom
and care
Bullying
Relationships
Self
Peer
pressure
Lack of
respect
A Good Childhood
Health - physical, mental, emotional
Lifestyle - leisure, fun, balance of time
Values and attitudes
Safety
Learning
and growth
Perceptions of the future
Environment
Freedom
School
Relationships
Environment
Home
Self
Money
Local area
Church
A Good Childhood
Health - physical, mental, emotional
Lifestyle - leisure, fun, balance of time
Values and attitudes
Safety
Learning
and growth
Perceptions of the future
Environment
Freedom
Money
Relationships
Environment
Home
Self
School
Local area
Church
Societal
attitudes
A Good Childhood
Health - physical, mental, emotional
Lifestyle - leisure, fun, balance of time
Values and attitudes
Safety
Learning
and growth
Perceptions of the future
Health
Environment
Freedom
Lifestyle
Relationships
Environment
Values and
Self
attitudes
Learning and
growing
Self
Perceptions
of the future
A Good Childhood
Health - physical, mental, emotional
Lifestyle - leisure, fun, balance of time
Values and attitudes
Safety
Learning
and growth
Perceptions of the future
Safety & Freedom
Relationships
Within the
Environment
Freedom
family
Environment
Within
friendships
Self
In school
In the local
area
Self
In societal
attitudes