Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | Libby Brooks: It's not enough to say we should listen to children

Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | Libby Brooks: It's not enough to say we should listen to children: "t's important not to cry 'toxic childhood' immediately. This is not solely a consequence of junk food, computer games and the Pussycat Dolls. Many of Unicef's findings can be traced back to poverty, pure and simple. But not all of them. The report also points to significant cultural factors. British society does not value its children. Since the Victorian era, they have been segregated from society, corralled into classrooms and swept off the streets. In many ways, simply to be young is to meet the definition of social exclusion: no say in the political process, not contributing directly to the economy, criminalised for offences determined by your status rather than actions, vilified by the media."