The Archbishop of Canterbury believes society has become "tone deaf to the real requirements of children."

Dr Rowan Williams believes a mixture of sentimentalism and panic makes the discussion of children's issues difficult.

Dr Williams made the comments while working as one of a panel of experts on The Good Childhood Enquiry. The three-year study commissioned by the Children's society to look into the main stresses and influences to which every child is exposed and make recommendations as to how we can improve their upbringing.

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The report is calling for a change in attitudes from adults, whose "aggressive pursuit of personal success is the greatest threat to children." The problem is being caused by the belief of adults that their prime duty is to make the most of their own life, rather than contributing to the good of others.

This attitude results in a number of problems that effect young people, including high family break-up. One third of the UK's 16-year-olds now live apart from the biological father but a child's performance at school and well-being are linked especially to the father's input. Children with separate, single or step-parents are 50 per cent more likely to fail at school or have behavioural problems.

Teenage unkindness, unprincipled advertising, overly competitive schooling and an acceptance of income inequality were also mentioned as factors caused by adults that do damage to young people.

The proportion of children experiencing significant emotional or behavioural difficulties rose from eight per cent in 1974 to 16 per cent in 1999, and has remained at that level.

The report also says a decline in religious belief means there is less confidence in values such as generosity and fairness and more emphasis on material goods and being more successful than others.

The Children’s Society is now calling for, among other things, league tables to be scrapped, children’s adverts banned and any further planning on open spaces where children play prohibited.

Dr Williams said he hoped the report would stir the public into action: "The Report shows something of the energy, the good sense and the vision of so many of our young people. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the well-being of children and young people in this country is far from being the priority it should be. It is a clarion call for us as a society to do better."

Factfile:

The Key recommendations of The Good Childhood Enquiry are:

Parents should:

• Make a long term commitment to each other and be fully informed about what is involved before their child is born.

• Love their children, each other and establish boundaries for children. .

• Help children develop spiritual qualities.

Teachers should:

• Help children to develop happy, likeable social personalities.

• Base discipline on mutual respect.

• Eliminate physical and psychological violence from school.

• Make Personal, Social and Health Education statutory.

• Present sex and relationships education not as biology but part of social and emotional learning.

• New SATS tests on emotional and behavioural well being should be carefully piloted.

Government should:

• Introduce non religious, free civil birth ceremonies.

• Offer high quality parenting classes, psychological support and adolescent mental health services throughout the country.

• Train at least 1,000 more highly qualified psychological therapists over the next five years.

• Automatically assess the mental health of children entering local authority care or custody.

• Raise the pay and status of all people who work with children including teachers and child care workers.

• Give a salary supplement to teachers taking jobs in deprived areas.

• Replace all SATS tests with an annual assessment designed mainly to guide a child’s learning.

• Stop publishing data on individual schools from which league tables are constructed by the media.

• Start a major campaign to persuade employers to offer apprenticeships.

• Build a high quality youth centre for every 5,000 young people.

• Ban all building on sports fields and open spaces where children play.

• Ban firms from advertising to British children under 12.

• Ban adverts for alcohol or unhealthy food on television before 9 pm.

• Reduce the proportion of children in relative poverty from 22 per cent to under 10 per cent by 2015.

The media should:

• Rethink the amount of violence they put out, the unbalanced impression they give of the risks that children face from strangers and the exaggerated picture they portray of young people threatening our social stability.

Advertisers should

• Stop encouraging premature sexualisation, heavy drinking and overeating.

Society should:

• Take a more positive attitude to children. Welcome them into society and help them.