MARK COLVIN: The Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne believes depression among young people is now so bad that many have effectively had their childhood stolen from them.
Dr Philip Freier says society is making children stressed, forcing them to grow up too early and sexualising them.
He’s now calling for a national inquiry into the state of childhood in Australia.
Dr Freier spoke to our Youth Affairs Reporter, Michael Turtle.
PHILIP FREIER: Talking about situations. Not just of people being unhappy but situations where we think there is up to 100,000 young people in Australia who are actually impaired from normal participation in life. So a very serious growth in people for whom that mental health issue is quite a limitation on their development.
MICHAEL TURTLE: Why do you think this is the case?
PHILIP FREIER: Well, I think there is a lot of reasons and some of them are to do with society and the way in which we push young children into almost adult like decisions and role models. But I’ve called on the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to support having a national enquiry into childhood because that I think that there is enough evidence that there is a crisis that we are in the middle of that needs to have all the best information and research put together to guide how we develop public policy.
Archbishop Freier is to be commended for his discernment. I grew up in the early 60s to mid-70s. As chaotic-and in many ways, destructive-as that period was, I am glad not to be growing up in todays American society. Of course, the generation that I grew up with helped set the stage for the moral and spiritual decay that we see now. We do indeed reap what we sow.
“What should we do”? “…I think we need to help children develop that deeper sense of well being that is more than just defined by being a consumer”.
“Deeper sense of well-being”?
What about morality, responsibility, community, frugality, Godliness, thrift, compassion…??? Am I missing something here? Our finest goal is to help our children (and grandchildren) have a “deeper sense of well-being”?
In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <>< dave@christos.cjb.net, dpeirce@christian.net