Results from a 2012 Gallup poll surveying 29 wealthy nations show that the US ranks low on measures of children's well-being, with 80 percent of Americans saying that most children in their country have the opportunity to learn and grow every day, and only 66 percent saying they are treated with dignity and respect.  "Although these figures might seem high, they are actually on the low end among 29 advanced economies where UNICEF studies children's well-being," Gallup explained.  In comparison, 95 percent of those surveyed in Switzerland said that most children in their country have the opportunity to learn and grow every day, and 92 percent said they are treated with dignity and respect.




These results are consistent with findings from a recent UNICEF study of children's well-being, which took into account five dimensions of well-being (material, health and safety, education, behaviors and risks, and housing and environment) to create child well-being scores.  In that study, the U.S. ranked 26th in overall child well-being among these same 29 wealthy nations.

The Gallup poll also showed that men and those in the wealthiest quintile are more likely than women and those in the poorest quintile to say the nation's children are treated with respect and dignity.  "Given that women are still children's primary caretakers, it may be that they are more attuned than men are to the kind of emotional environment that surrounds their children on a daily basis, and therefore are more critical. Regarding the income discrepancy in most countries, including the U.S., wealthier respondents are better able to provide greater opportunities for their children, and as result, are more likely to have higher expectations about the level of respect and dignity their children receive."


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