Hello and welcome to The Teens' Speech blog. A place dedicated to discussing issues of significance to young people in particular and the nation as a whole.
The Teens' Speech

THE TEENS' SPEECH BLOG

On Christmas Day this year, teenage Britain delivered its own message to the nation. Find out more

16.12.09

How well do you know young people?

Over the last 50 days of The Teens' Speech, we've learned quite a bit about young people in the United Kingdom. Now it's time to check who has been paying attention. Take a deep breath, furrow your brow and dive into our pocket-size teenage Britain quiz. The answers may surprise you. Keep a count of your score and we'll let you know how in tune you really are with the lives of young people. And let us know how you get on in comments.

1. What percentage of pupils overall achieved five GCSEs at grade A*-C?

A. Between 40 and 50%
B. Between 50 and 60%
C. Between 60 and 70%
D. Between 70 and 80%

Click to reveal the answerC - 69.7 per cent of pupils overall achieved five GCSEs at grade A*-C.
(http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0186)

2. What percentage of teenagers think their teachers believe in them?

A. Between 40 and 50%
B. Between 50 and 60%
C. Between 60 and 70%
D. Between 70 and 80%

Click to reveal the answerD - 71% of teenagers thought their teachers believed in them
(http://www.theteensspeech.org.uk/post/you-thought-teenagers-didnt-their-teachers-our-survey-said/)

3. What percentage of children aged 14 are being bullied?

A. Between 10 and 20%
B. Between 20 and 30%
C. Between 30 and 40%
D. Between 40 and 50%

Click to reveal the answerD - 47% of 14 year-olds are bullied
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8357330.stm)

4. What percentage of girls aged 11 to 16 would consider cosmetic surgery to make themselves thinner or prettier?

A. Between 10 and 20%
B. Between 20 and 30%
C. Between 30 and 40%
D. Between 40 and 50%

Click to reveal the answerD - 46% of girls aged 11 to 16, and 50% of girls aged 16 to 21 would consider cosmetic surgery to make themselves thinner or prettier.
(http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/home.aspx)

5. 23% of all deaths of young peopled aged 14-24 are due to...

A. Knife crime
B. Traffic accidents
C. Drug taking
D. Suicide

Click to reveal the answerD - 23% of all deaths of young people aged 14-24 are suicides
(http://www.mind.org.uk/help/research_and_policy/suicide_rates_risks_and_prevention_strategies)

6. How many children in Britain have families with no savings?

A. Under 1 million
B. Between 1 and 2 million
C. Between 3 and 4 million
D. Between 4 and 5 million

Click to reveal the answerD - 4.9m children have families with absolutely no savings
(http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbai/hbai2008/chapters.asp)

7. How many British children live in poverty?

A. 1 in 2
B. 1 in 3
C. 1 in 4
D. 1 in 5

Click to reveal the answerB - 1/3 of British children live in poverty
(http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/why-end-child-poverty/key-facts)

8. What percentage of young offenders are from single-parent families?

A. Between 30 and 40%
B. Between 40 and 50%
C. Between 50 and 60%
D. Between 60 and 70%

Click to reveal the answerD - 70% of young offenders are from lone parent families
(http://www.civitas.org.uk/pubs/experiments.php)

9. 1 in 3 children carry...

A. A knife or gun
B. A mobile phone
C. An mp3 player
D. A book

Click to reveal the answerA - One third of children admit to carrying a gun or knife
(http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/one-third-of-children-admit-to-carrying-a-gun-or-knife-1638512.html)

10. What is the age of criminal responsibility in the U.K.?

A. 10
B. 12
C. 14
D. 16
E. 18

Click to reveal the answerA - The age of criminal responsibility in the UK is 10 years old.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5369274.stm)

How did you score?

1-3 Click here
You're way out of touch. But it's not too late to take more interest.
Watch The Teens' Speech on Christmas Day.

3-5 Click here
Looks like the youth are a mystery to you. Change it. Watch The Teens'
Speech on Christmas Day.

5-7 Click here
Not bad. You're pretty in touch. We're sure you'll be watching The
Teens' Speech on Christmas Day.

8-10 Click here
You're clearly in touch with young people. Stay that way. Watch The
Teens' Speech on Christmas Day.

5 Comments
19.11.09

What's wrong with being gay?

Our friend, JoeSYKE, is shocked and baffled at the prevalence of homophobia his community. Do teenagers have a problem with homosexuality, or will his generation herald a new age of tolerance?

Unfortunately, the research suggests that homophobia is an inherent problem among teenagers.

A report published 2 years ago by the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, Stonewall, revealed that 65% of young leasbian, gay and bisexual pupils have experienced direct bullying. Out of those who have been bullied, 92% experienced verbal abuse, 17% had suffered from death threats and 12% had been sexually assaulted.

It appears we still have a way to go.

But, isn't this yet another example of how teenagers mirror their parents attitudes and behaviour? Don't teenagers have a hard time accepting homosexuality because society in general does?

The odd comment on our YouTube channel bemoans the self-evident truth that teenagers are a product of our shared experience, the gist of it being "They're just repeating what they've been told - this project is a waste of time!"

Of course they are repeating what they've been told. We all do to some degree. But, the far more interesting and thought-provoking thing to take away from The Teens' Speech is that teenagers are a mirror image of ourselves and the society we've created for them.

Our teenagers are stressed, depressed, drinking, taking drugs and having unprotected, underage sex. What does that tell us about the society we've brought them into?

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16.11.09

Anti-Bullying Week

A study of 10,000 teenagers in England has revealed that almost half of 14-year-olds in England have experienced some sort of bullying - most commonly threats and insults via mobile phones and the internet.

Anti-Bullying Week, running from 16-10 November, is run by the charity, Beatbullying and seeks empower young people to lead anti-bullying campaigns in their schools and local communities.

"Young people who are being bullied at school are not able to make the most of themselves and their talents, because their ability to learn, to contribute, to be happy and just be a child, is undermined and sometimes lost forever by bullying."

In the clip, teenager Georgia Wood and her mum share their traumatic bullying experiences.

If you have something to say about bullying, head over to our YouTube channel or MySpace page and get it off your chest.

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