Bournemouth University study reveals that todays girls are worse behaved than boys and children of smokers are even more likely to behave badly.
New research from Bournemouth University reveals that todays adolescents are better behaved than their parents (predecessors) were 20 years ago but when it comes to drugs, drink and sex girls have now overtaken boys when it comes to bad behaviour in todays society.
Worse yet is the finding that children of smoking parents are more likely to involve themselves in anti-social behaviour including fighting, binge drinking and unprotected sex.
In 2005, Professor Colin Pritchard of Bournemouth Universitys Institute of Health and Community Studies and his colleague Richard Williams repeated a survey originally completed in 1985, of normal Year 10 and 11 secondary students to compare and contrast todays adolescent behaviour with that of their parents of 20 years ago.
The good news and, perhaps, unexpected is that the 2005 youngsters have less problematic behaviour than the 1985 cohort and even with the problematic behaviour - drugs, drink & sex - this is still a minority activity, says Professor Pritchard. The bad news, however, is that 20 years ago boys drugged, drank, smoked, truanted, stole, vandalised and fought MORE than girls, today it is very different.
The picture is even more bleak for children of smoking parents who are four times more likely to smoke themselves, are twice as likely to steal, get into fights and become sexually active at an early age, are two and a half times more likely to take drugs and/or binge drink and four times more likely to have unprotected sex than children of parents who do not smoke.
It is not that smoking `causes' the students behaviour, but it reflects something of their personal, family and social relationships, Professor Pritchard concludes. What were saying through this work is that we have to reach out to parents and show how the cycle of educational and societal alienation must and can be broken to enable parents and schools to work together to contribute to childrens educational, social and emotional well-being.
Professor Pritchard recommends the study provides the evidence to ensure that Every Child Matters can become a reality, and give the most disadvantaged child a real chance.
Posted: 17th May 2006
