The UN agency unveils this Tuesday, November 19, the results of a consultation carried out among 20,000 young people in France. 22.8% of children surveyed do not eat three meals a day, and 11% only eat fruits and vegetables once a week (or less often).
One in five children do not eat three meals a day in France and more than one in four have suffered physical violence from other children, according to the results of a consultation carried out among 20,000 young people aged 6 to 18 years by Unicef, which announced the creation of a child rights observatory.
According to this consultation, the results of which were published this Tuesday, November 19 on the eve of International Children’s Rights Day, 16.2% of children and adolescents surveyed say they are experiencing material deprivation and 25.7% have difficulties in access to knowledge.
Some 7.3% say they never spend time with friends outside of home and school, 10.9% cannot have a party for their birthday or other event and 7.1% can never invite friends to where they live.
A “protection gap”
“These deprivations, often cumulative, generate a deep feeling of exclusion among these children and adolescents, who feel constrained by a deviation from the norm, without necessarily being plunged into absolute distress,” notes the UN organization.
In detail, 22.8% of the children surveyed eat less than three meals a day, 11.9% only eat meat, fish or an egg (or the protein equivalent) once a week (or less often). ). And 11% eat fruits and vegetables only once a week (or less often).
Another point noted by Unicef, the “protection deficit” with 31.3% of young participants confiding that they have already suffered insults, hurtful mockery, or verbal violence, whether from other children or from adults.
30.6% of young people over 13 have already thought about suicide
More than one in four children have suffered physical violence from other children or adolescents (30%) and more than one in ten children are affected by violence committed by adults (13.1%).
In total, 30.6% of young people over 13 years old surveyed indicate that they have already thought about suicide, and 6.2% confide that they have had sexual intercourse when they did not want to, specifies Unicef.
Feeling of loneliness, risk of depression, suicidal thoughts… A helpline (0 800 235 236) dedicated to young people is accessible 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (anonymous and free service and call). 3114, the national suicide prevention number, is also accessible 24/7.
In this context, Unicef urges the government to act “urgently to protect the rights of children and guarantee their development in a fairer society”.
The organization also announces the creation of a child rights observatory, a digital platform centralizing “reliable statistics” on this issue, in particular to enable the development of “more effective” public policies for the most vulnerable. young people.
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