Measure what you treasure reveals that children experience a significant decline in happiness once they start secondary school. Their self-esteem, ability to cope with stress and difficulties, and perception of friends and family all deteriorate, particularly as they enter their teenage years. And while both sexes suffer, the problem seems more acute for girls. Increased exposure to sexualised imagery in everyday life, the prevalence of internet pornography, and cyberbullying are cited by many as contributing factors.
The paper was published by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) in May 2014.