There’s good news for parents of teens. According to a recently released study, fewer teens are having sex, the number of teens ages 15 to 17 giving birth has decreased and for those teens who are engaging in sexual activity, the use of condoms is up.
America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, is an annual report released by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics and details information on the health and well-being of children in the United States. Many of the findings were positive. In addition to the issues of teen sexuality, the study found that:
More young people are finishing high school.
More young children are being read to.
The percentage of children who were being covered by health insurance has increased.
The number of children with at least one parent working full-time increased.
In two-parent families, the percentage of both parents working full-time increased.
The number of high school graduates who complete advanced classes in math, chemistry, physics and biology has increased.
The number of kids receiving recommended vaccinations has increased.
Although there were many positive findings from the report, there are a few things we need to work on. Teen smoking and child-hood obesity continues to present a problem. Many diets can be considered poor or inadequate. Many families still live in poverty and many of us live in areas where air pollutants above what is considered normal, threatens our lives and the lives of our children. More kids have asthma also- could there be a link here?
Many of the indicators show we have made gain. We have made losses in some areas and in some, statistically speaking; the numbers were about the same. For instance, the rate of violent crime among our youth has remained about the same. Although we wish these particular numbers had dropped, aren’t we are happy they have not increased?
See also:
Let’s Talk About Teenage Pregnancy
Talking with Children About Sexuality
Schools Battle Childhood Obesity