Childrens Well Being Improving

According to a Washington report found at www.cnn.com children are doing better then their parents in allot of areas. For instance they are using fewer drugs, committing fewer crimes and having fewer babies. A resent survey by the Child Well Being Index found many decreases in At Risk Behavior among kids. For example teen birth rate has dropped from 20 births per 1000 girls in 1992 to an estimate 10.9 births per 1000 girls in 2004. Binge drinking was also found to have decreased among high school seniors from 36.9% in 1975 to 29.2% in 2004 (keep in mind the drinking age changed between then). Also the number of youths ages 12-17 who were victim to a crime dropped from 120 per 1000 children in 1994 to 45 per 1000 children of the same age group in 2004. This decrease in At Risk Behavior has been attributed to a better economy and parents who grew up in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s around or who used drugs and are keeping a closer eye on their kids. Although these changes are great not all is good. The CWBI also reported childhood obesity had tripled from 1975. Achievement test scores are at an all time low and the number of teens who live in a single parent household has increased by 27.5% from the 1980’s.