Children face same social problems as they did 100 years ago
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《英国医生杂志》
Too many children in the United Kingdom continue to face many of the same problems today that they did 100 years ago, says a report from UK children's charity Barnardo's. These include poverty, neglect, abuse, and discrimination.
Vulnerability to sexual exploitation is just one of the many problems that were around in 1905, when Dr Thomas Barnardo died, says the report, compiled to mark the centenary of the founder's death. But modern society has produced new ways in which children can be exploited—for example, via new technologies, such as the internet and mobile phones.
Living conditions would have been poor for this family in London's East End, 1912, but poverty, neglect, and abuse are still problems today
Credit: HULTON/GETTY IMAGES
According to the report, Then and Now, child poverty rates last year were 54% in inner London and 17% across the United Kingdom as a whole. When children are poor, they are more vulnerable to abuse and discrimination as well as marginalisation by society in general, it says.
In the past three years, Barnardo's has dealt with more than 4000 children and young people who live in fear of sexual exploitation. Rape, sexual assault, and physical injuries are common, says the report. Prostitution increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections, infertility, and terminations, as well as psychological and behavioural problems.
The charity has launched an appeal to raise ￡1m ($1.9m; 1.4m) to fund 16 community based services across the United Kingdom to help children who have been sexually exploited. It is also calling on the police to do more to identify and prosecute adults who exploit children.
Barnardo's also says that a statutory maximum rate of interest should be set in the United Kingdom, in line with most other European countries, to protect poor families from exploitation by credit card companies and loan sharks.
Another children's charity, the Child Poverty Action Group, has published a 10 step plan to eradicate child poverty. "Poverty is a complex, multifaceted problem, and so too are its solutions. Many government policies have the potential to impact on child poverty, including education, housing, health, and transport," said Kate Green, chief executive of the group. "We are calling for a poverty impact assessment to be made for every new policy." Policies not focused on fighting poverty should be changed accordingly, she said.
Among the proposals in the 10 step plan are reduced taxation for poorer families, good quality universal child care, better rather than just more jobs, and more immediate reform of welfare benefits.
"Reforming the administration of tax credits and benefits is fundamental," said Ms Green.(Zosia Kmietowicz)
Vulnerability to sexual exploitation is just one of the many problems that were around in 1905, when Dr Thomas Barnardo died, says the report, compiled to mark the centenary of the founder's death. But modern society has produced new ways in which children can be exploited—for example, via new technologies, such as the internet and mobile phones.
Living conditions would have been poor for this family in London's East End, 1912, but poverty, neglect, and abuse are still problems today
Credit: HULTON/GETTY IMAGES
According to the report, Then and Now, child poverty rates last year were 54% in inner London and 17% across the United Kingdom as a whole. When children are poor, they are more vulnerable to abuse and discrimination as well as marginalisation by society in general, it says.
In the past three years, Barnardo's has dealt with more than 4000 children and young people who live in fear of sexual exploitation. Rape, sexual assault, and physical injuries are common, says the report. Prostitution increases the risk of sexually transmitted infections, infertility, and terminations, as well as psychological and behavioural problems.
The charity has launched an appeal to raise ￡1m ($1.9m; 1.4m) to fund 16 community based services across the United Kingdom to help children who have been sexually exploited. It is also calling on the police to do more to identify and prosecute adults who exploit children.
Barnardo's also says that a statutory maximum rate of interest should be set in the United Kingdom, in line with most other European countries, to protect poor families from exploitation by credit card companies and loan sharks.
Another children's charity, the Child Poverty Action Group, has published a 10 step plan to eradicate child poverty. "Poverty is a complex, multifaceted problem, and so too are its solutions. Many government policies have the potential to impact on child poverty, including education, housing, health, and transport," said Kate Green, chief executive of the group. "We are calling for a poverty impact assessment to be made for every new policy." Policies not focused on fighting poverty should be changed accordingly, she said.
Among the proposals in the 10 step plan are reduced taxation for poorer families, good quality universal child care, better rather than just more jobs, and more immediate reform of welfare benefits.
"Reforming the administration of tax credits and benefits is fundamental," said Ms Green.(Zosia Kmietowicz)