Despite increased levels of affluence, the lives of children have not improved a leading Government adviser stated yesterday.
Salaries and living standards have got better over 50 years, however, children in Britain are amongst those worst off in Europe with regard to mental health and wellbeing, Lord Layard claimed.
Lord Layard is heading a study which asks more wealth equating to more toys, improved technology and better transport undreamt of by earlier generations have not resulted in the happiness of children.
Children are affected by more family break ups as well as single parent families, and by higher levels of mental illness, with children being attracted by crime .
Lord Layard, Professor of Economics at the LSE, affirmed that societal wealth clearly has not resulted in the type of childhood we may wish for our children.
20% of children are being brought up by single parents, with many children getting into crime, drug abuse, teenage parenthood and unemployment coming from broken families.
There are also over threats to children from paedophilia, internet communication, street safety and threats from children in terms of anti social behaviour and gangs.
