Charity warns nearly 40% of Taiwanese kids feel they don't matter

Taipei, Nov. 18 (CNA) Nearly four in 10 children and adolescents in Taiwan believe "the world would be no different without me," the Child Welfare League Foundation (CWLF) said Tuesday, pointing out that this level of psychological alienation has reached a three-year high.

World Children's Day on Thursday is a reminder for society to listen to children's voices, the CWLF said.

According to the Taipei-based foundation, its 2025 Child Well-Being Survey found that Taiwan's children registered a subjective life-satisfaction score of 72, a four-point rise from last year but still below the results in the 2021/2022 international study of Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC).

The CWLF stated that Taiwan continued to lag behind the international average across all age and gender categories in terms of satisfaction levels.

Thirteen-year-old Taiwanese girls reported only 48.9 points, far below girls the same age internationally, the foundation said.

Taiwanese children were most satisfied with the home they live in and generally reported having positive friendships.

However, the survey showed they were least satisfied with their appearance, followed by their free time and life choices.

The foundation said Taiwanese children displayed stability in daily life and relationships but continued to show weaker self-identity and insufficient "sense of control."

According to the group, 27 percent of children described themselves as "very healthy," though this share declined with age, especially among 13-year-old girls.

The foundation said assessments of physical appearance were mostly negative, with many children believing they were overweight compared with the international average.

In terms of lifestyle habits, the group reported that Taiwanese children had better sleep than their international peers.

The foundation said, however, that they exercised significantly less, noting that only 24.5 percent of 13-year-old girls engaged in regular physical activity.

According to the group, only 46.7 percent of children felt classmates were friendly, helpful, or accepting, and nearly half still felt isolated or unable to integrate during classroom interactions, which affected their mental health.

The foundation said academic pressure appeared earlier in Taiwan than elsewhere, with 40.8 percent of 11-year-old boys already reporting such stress.

Study-related pressure among girls increased by about 10 percentage points between the ages of 11 and 13, rising from 34.5 percent to 46 percent, the study found.

School satisfaction was also low, with only about 30 percent of students saying they really liked school, and just around 10 percent of 13-year-old girls saying the same.

The CWLF said it welcomed the government's plan to establish the Children and Families Administration under the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), a move announced by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Sunday.

The group called for the strengthening of preventive mental-health services and promotion of weekend sports days.