More analytically, the shock results of the research prove that children in Greece live in tragic conditions, with more than 439.000 Greek children living below the poverty line, while about 100.000 minor children are working.
They do not even have to eat
The deterioration of the living standard of Greeks in the midst of crisis has a direct impact on the quality of life, education and nutrition of their children, as the child poverty rate in our country reaches 23% when in the rest of Europe it stands at 20,5%.
Last in the ranking is Bulgaria with 26,8%.
Social spending on family and child protection remained stable from 2000 to 2009 and is below the European Union average.
The crisis is pushing for crime
At the same time, children in Greece live in a more violent environment. From 2008 to 2010 crime in the country increased by 40%, while a larger increase is expected to be recorded in 2011.
The report also records the cases of students fainting due to malnutrition in schools that led to the provision of free snacks and describes them as a symptom of the conditions of absolute poverty that some children experience.
In these circumstances, UNICEF finds an increased risk of developing psychosomatic symptoms due to stress and anxiety.
94% of children in Greece attend public schools, while in terms of educational performance, according to the results of international evaluation, our country at all three levels (reading, mathematics and scientific literacy) achieves results below the average performance of other countries of the OECD. It is also noted that the rates of minors attending daycare before the age of 4 are significantly lower than the European Union average.
Juvenile delinquency is on the rise, with car violations and illegal entry and residence in the country accounting for 84% of juvenile delinquency offenses.
Today, 582 juveniles are being held in penitentiaries, 80% of whom are foreigners. For the children of immigrants, after all, as the report shows, the living standards are much worse. About 200.000 children in Greece come from immigrant families, while 1.000 to 6.000 children a year are unaccompanied or separated from their families.