When I started looking for interesting facts about Lithuania, I was actually surprised how much negative information I found. I knew economy in Lithuania was bad and I knew Lithuanians had problems with mental health. But some statistics really scared me… As I mentioned in my previous blog post Lithuanians are pessimistic people and I believe that in some surveys they say situation is worse than it really is. I hope I will not scare you off coming to Lithuania with all this negative information. I can assure you that Lithuania is a very interesting country worth visiting. Maybe it is not the best place on Earth to live, but really great place to travel.
Today I will give you some interesting information about Lithuanian children:
Taunting in Lithuanian schools is a huge problem. 27% of schoolchildren say they suffer from taunting and insulting 2-3 times a month or more frequently. I finished secondary school 8 years ago. And I remember that taunting was really a problem. But I am not sure that situation in other countries are much better. I have never been to USA, but what I see in American TV series and movies makes me believe that in USA it should be even worse. Or is it just on TV but not in reality? Anyway, I am sure that being popular at school is not as important in Lithuania as it is in USA.
Surveys show that schoolchildren in Lithuania feel unhappier than children in any other European country.
41,7% of schoolchildren in Lithuania have problems with mental health. The rates of murders committed by children and young people in Lithuania are a few times higher than EU average. But we have never had a situation in Lithuania when a child comes to school and starts killing his classmates and teachers!
Half of Lithuanian schoolchildren have signs of depression or are inclined to depression. 10-18% have thoughts about suicide. About 5% of schoolchildren have tried to kill themselves.
Lithuania is 1st in the world by the number of children suicides.
Lithuanian children love internet most in Europe. 96% of children in Lithuania use internet. 75% of children use social networking websites and most of them reveal too much information about themselves.
64% of children in Lithuania think they can find “good stuff” online (it is the highest rate in Europe).
In Lithuania children use internet more than their parents.
Children in Lithuania and Estonia want to meet strangers they have met online more often than children from other European countries. 24% of children in Lithuania have met with strangers they had found online and had never met before in real life. Only 6% of parents in Lithuania thought their children had met such strangers.
8 comments:
Sort of a funny story for a blog called Lithuania the best, don't you think?
Sort of... Don't you feel a little irony in the name of blog? :)
Information like this will not negatively affect my decision to visit Lithuania. I am pleased that you take the time to post information like this.
I can only comment about what I know about the US. Bullying in schools is a newly invented social crisis. Everything in the public schools that goes against the social control agenda of the Federal Government is blamed on the symptom, not the cause. From what I've seen, bullying is caused by the decline of intact families, absence of a values system at home, and destructive influences in entertainment, ie, tv, internet, etc. Bullying was confined to the normal childhood behavior back when the public schools were controlled locally without the interference of the Federal Government with outrageous social agendas.
I think thats bull shit i came from Lithuania and never ever heard such a bad story about Lithuanian kids they are very happy and very smart kids.Whos writing this blog probably are very sad person.
Maybe I am sad, but this information is from surveys :(
Do you have the average age range for the high population of child suicides? My reason for asking is that I understand that there is a huge number of institutions/orphanages in Lithuania for such a small country and that many children that "age out" of institutions commit suicide. In a country roughly the size of West Virginia that has more than 100 orphanages, I can only imagine the number of children that are put out on the streets when they age out of the institutions. Just curious from what your surveys revealed.
I don't have this information.
Not exactly true, no depression, suicide rates i believe are over exxagerated. I was born there and even though there was some taunting involved it was only to establish your position or rank amongst others, kind of like the survival of the fittest. But still, the kids are usually really nice, but i guess kind of edgy and more serious, stuck up if rich.Lithuania is a very old fashioned country still so most children still have to do the types of housework that'd most americans would hire a maid for. But i mean i was annoyed by it but not necessarily unhappy. It was just an everyday thing of helping out your parents. But some things i'm quite dissapointed about is the alcohol and drug abuse by children as young as 10. They're smart, hence know how to get the drinks and cigarettes, but usually use just to fit in with a certain crowd. You'll only find this in some places though.
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