UK: Weapons fears for ‘unsafe’ teens

Teenagers are worried about bullying and personal safety

One in five young teenagers says that their friends are carrying knives and weapons, says a major annual survey of school children’s health and wellbeing. These weapons are carried by worried boys for “protection”, say youngsters - and researchers link this to increased affluence among teenagers.

This portrait of teenage life, based on a survey of 70,000 youngsters, shows considerable fears of bullying.

Getting drunk is also a habit for a quarter of 14 to 15-year-old girls.

This survey from the Schools Health Education Unit has been examining the lifestyles of young people since the mid-1980s.

‘Wheezy’

With concerns about knife crime among teenagers, this survey shows that a fifth of youngsters are “fairly sure” or “certain” that their male friends are carrying a weapon.

“We have linked young people’s carrying of weapons with other aspects of their lifestyle, for example, having money to go out,” say the report’s authors.

The annual survey shows a picture of children entering secondary school with plenty of exercise and enjoyment of sport.

But as the teenage years develop, it shows a substantial minority of children affected by “wheeziness” and declining fitness, insecurity about personal safety, anxiety about appearance and exposure to drink and alcohol.

A declining number of children live with both parents - 66% in this survey - and in terms of recreation, there are examples of youngsters spending a long time alone.

There were 16% of boys who spent more than three hours playing computer games after school - and 79% of teenagers were using the internet unsupervised.

The survey shows that less than half of secondary pupils walk even part of the way to school - and 57% of teenage girls are “wheezy” if they have to run. A fifth of youngsters in this age groups are classified as asthmatics.

It also found widespread, frequent use among both boys and girls of non-prescription painkillers.

Girls also revealed worries about their appearance - feeling “picked on” over issues such as weight.

And with fears of being overweight, the survey shows that more than a quarter of 15 year old girls had had no breakfast that day - and among these, a quarter had had no lunch the previous day.

Teenage girls also reported particular fears about not getting an adequate amount of sleep.

‘Chips and crisps’

There were signs that the messages of healthy eating were getting through. There was a decline in the chips and crisps diet - and almost a quarter ate three portions of fresh fruit and vegetables each day.

The long-term overview of the survey shows that the use of illegal drugs is not rising - and that smoking cigarettes continues to decline. A majority of 14 to 15 year old boys have never smoked a cigarette.

It shows that young people are living in a culture where there is widespread exposure to illegal drugs and alcohol - and that children have to exercise their judgement to refuse.

About one in five 14 to 15 year olds have taken cannabis - but a much higher number know drug users.

A quarter of 14 to 15 year old girls had been drunk in the previous week - higher than the rate for boys. And among those children drinking at home, two in five did so with the knowledge of their parents.

But it also points to a growing affluence among teenagers - with up to 40% of 15 year olds having part-time jobs.

With extra cash, youngsters have access to more consumer goods and going out at night - which in turn could make them more vulnerable to crime.

It could also be connected to health matters - because the most likely way of spending money for teenagers is on sweets and soft drinks.

Via BBC