BEIJING, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Experts in China see a dramatic rise in behavioral and emotional problems in children 16 and under, state media says.
According to a survey by Beijing University, 30 to 50 million young people are affected by these problems and the numbers keep rising. A 1993 survey found 10.9 percent of children had behavioral problems, Xinhua reported. The figure in 2003 was 18.2 percent.
The survey found that up to 22 percent of China's youth experienced behavioral problems that included lying, skipping classes and stealing, and suffered from emotional problems such as anxiety, fear and depression.
A survey of 2,500 primary school students in Shanghai found almost 25 percent had contemplated suicide, the South China Morning Post reported Monday.
In addition, 20 to 30 percent of children in primary and middle schools experienced difficulty with relationships, mood swings and studying.
Zang Chaoying, a psychological consultant in Beijing, said that a majority of troubled children experienced difficulties in their formative years, and their problems weren't helped by a largely unsympathetic school system.
The children also experienced stress at home where, as the only child, their parents pushed them very hard to succeed. China's one-child policy means most children grow up without siblings.
