Tell us what you make of this…
A new report, “The State of America’s Children: 2011,” published by the Children’s Defense Fund publishes alarming figures about the state of America youth.
The report, which can be accessed here, ranks America among other industrialized countries. And as you may or may not expect, the statistics are rather damning. Some of the gems:
First in GDP
First in billionaires
First in prison population size
First in health expenditures
First in student expenditures
First in military expenditures, technology, and global wars
First in weapons exports
17th in reading scores
23rd in science scores
30th in infant mortality rates
31st in math scores
31st in wealth gap between rich and poor
Last in relative child poverty
Last in adolescent birth rates (ages 15 – 19)
Last in protecting children from gun violence
Only America and Somalia (a country ravaged by war, poverty and starvation with no functioning government) haven’t ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Other disturbing information includes:
Every second a public school student is suspended.
Every eight seconds a high school student drops out.
Every 18 seconds an unwed mother gives birth.
Every 20 seconds a public school student is a victim of corporal punishment.
Every 21 seconds a child is arrested.
Every 34 seconds a child is born in poverty.
Every 42 seconds a baby is born without health insurance.
Every 42 seconds a child is abused or neglected.
Every minute a teenage mother gives birth.
Every two minutes a low birth-weight child is born.
Every four minutes a child is arrested for illegal drug possession.
Every eight minutes a child is arrested for committing violence.
Every 18 minutes a baby dies before age one.
Every 45 minutes an accident kills a child or teen.
Every three hours a child is shot and killed.
Every five hours a child or teen commits suicide.
Every five hours a child dies from abuse or neglect.
Every 16 hours a mother dies from childbirth or pregnancy complications.
Heard enough?
