Report paints mixed picture of UK childhood

An international report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) - Doing Better for Children - compares the wellbeing of children in a number of developed countries and paints a mixed picture of childhood in the U.K. The report found that children in the U.K. are relatively well off, tend to enjoy school more, experience low levels of bullying and are less likely to commit suicide relative to many other developed countries. However, young teenagers (13-15) in the U.K. were more likely to get drunk than those anywhere else in the world and were also more likely to become pregnant and to have parents who were separated. 33% of 13-15-year-olds reported being drunk at least twice - more than double the rate of children in the U.S., France and Italy. The rates of drinking were particularly high among U.K. girls with 50% of 15-year-old girls reporting getting drunk - three times higher than girls of the same age in France.

You can find out more about the OECD report at

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8227443.stm