Clinical Depression. Credit: Julianne.hide/flickr
By Rich Bowden
An OECD report on the welfare of children in member countries has found New Zealand to have the highest youth suicide rate in the developed world.
The study, “Doing Better for Children,” released this week by the Paris-based, 30-member Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ranked New Zealand 29th out of 30 in its list of children’s health and safety, ahead of only Turkey and behind Mexico.
The OECD’s research also identified chronic underfunding of children’s support services in the country and said one in six New Zealand children lived in poverty.
Child and family advocacy organisation Jigsaw Family Services described the result as “shameful” and called on the Government to increase spending on youth and family services. The call was made in light of the report’s findings that the NZ Government spend less than half of the OECD average on children under five.
“We live in a relatively wealthy country with a great physical environment for children. It’s intolerable that we’re failing them so badly,” says Jigsaw CE, Tau Huirama. “Jigsaw agencies know from their frontline work that most parents want the best for their kids. Government investment in young children and their families reaps lifetime benefits for the whole country.”
Chris Bell from the youth advocacy group Youthline blamed the attitude of NZ society towards its youth for the high suicide figures and said the “…country needs to do more to celebrate its young people,” according to a report by Radio New Zealand.
However Social Development Minister Paula Bennett cast doubt on the figures saying they were not a true
comparison.
“Looking at some of the data collection it is not very clear they are recording against what we record,” Ms Bennett said.
“I think we are more honest and upfront in where we are at. We don’t try and hide figures, we lay it on the line a lot more [than other countries].”
Backing up her claim, Ms Bennett said Government figures showed NZ children achieving in education.
“How can they be having such positive education outcomes when they are [doing badly] health wise and living in poverty?” she asked.
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