A survey carried out in the 1990s across England and Wales of 34,000 13-15 year olds by Prof Leslie Francis, University of Wales, Dept of Applied Theology, used five indicators of personal well-being. One in every eight held themselves in sufficiently low self-esteem to identify with the statement ‘I feel I am not worth much as a person’. Only 56% feel that their lives have a sense of purpose; 10% are completely without a sense of purpose and a further 34% are drifting. 52% often feel depressed and 27% have sometimes considered taking their own lives. One in ten do not find their lives worth living.
So what is the right collective growing up experience which joins home-life, school life and free time and which ensures our young people have great self-esteem, the right level of confidence, purpose, belief in themselves and trust in others?
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