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Poll: Adults rank drugs as biggest problem facing kids
Experts say they should worry about poverty, child care
December 8, 1997
Web posted at: 11:20 p.m. EST (0420 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Adults continue to rank drug abuse as the most troubling problem facing children in America, according to a new survey. Crime emerged as the second biggest worry, followed by family breakdown.
But experts were concerned that respondents to the survey commissioned by the Harvard School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation did not rank poverty, child care and health care among the issues facing children.
"Three issues dominate the public's concern about the future of children in this country -- drugs, crime and home life breakdown," said Harvard University's Robert Blendon, who directed the study.
"What isn't on the list, and this is very important in terms of politics (and) community service, is poverty among kids, health care among kids, day care among kids, smoking, alcohol."
1,500 adults polled
In the survey, 1,500 adults were asked to name the most serious problems facing American children today. The results: 56 percent named drugs or drug abuse, 24 percent said crime, 17 percent said poor quality of education, and 16.6 percent said breakdown of home life.
Despite dramatic media coverage of incidents of child abuse, the survey revealed most Americans do not think it is an overwhelming threat.
Only 1.2 percent named child abuse and 0.2 percent named sexual abuse as the most serious problems. By comparison, a 1986 Harris poll of adults found 28 percent ranked child and sexual abuse as top concerns.
In that poll, 52 percent named drugs as the biggest concern; 46 percent listed breakdown of home life; 9 percent named alcohol abuse; and another 9 percent cited poor quality education.
Many unaware of new insurance program
The new survey revealed that many families who qualify for government-sponsored health insurance for their children don't know that such insurance exists.
"We have what is called an historic piece of legislation to try to cover 11 million uninsured children," Blendon said. "That's the good news. The bad news is we have a nation that does not know that we've enacted this legislation."
The Social Security Act was amended last August to include $24 billion over five years to fund the creation and expansion of health assistance to uninsured, low-income children.
Only about 26 percent of parents of children without health insurance knew about the program, according to the survey.
People believe they have to be on welfare to get Medicaid coverage for their children, said Sarah Shuptrine, president of the Southern Institute on Families and Children.
"The perception that Medicaid is available only to families that are dirt poor or only families that are on welfare may be a large part of the problem," she said.
Quality of health care at issue
Another finding of the new survey: 50 percent of the public believes that children are better able to get health care when they need it, and 55 percent believe U.S. children are healthier than children in many other industrialized nations.
In fact, the U.S. ranks 23rd among 28 other industrialized nations in infant mortality, according to the November issue of Health Affairs.
Programs for children's health are competing with others for the country's attention, Blendon said.
"With the exception of (children's) immunizations, senior programs dominate America's program for government policies," he said. "Kids programs are popular. But programs which support ... low-income Americans are seen as the least important."
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Junior high kids doing more drugs - October 28, 1997
- Teen drug use down for first time since '92 - August 6, 1997
- Anti-drug spending: Where should the money go? - February 25, 1997
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