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Just over one in 10 South African teenagers say they come from an unhappy home, according to the results of a survey released on Tuesday.
And Bloemfontein teenagers seem to be the most academically stressed of the country's seven largest cities. But the survey, conducted by TNS Research Surveys among 1 000 youngsters, also found most teens were coping well with life.
TNS said 13% of the teens questioned reported that their home lives were unhappy, and the same number confirmed "a lot of conflict in the household".
Overall, 13% of teens reported that school, university or work did not make them happy, but the figures swung between 8% for the East Rand (and 12% for Gauteng as a whole), and 40% for Bloemfontein.
Most teens enjoy studying and sport
Coloured and Asian teens experienced more stress and pressure regarding academic performance. Up to 83% of teens said they enjoyed studying and
learning, though again there was a sharp difference here between
black teens (90%) and Asians (60%).
Over three-quarters of all teens said they enjoyed reading and playing sport, considered themselves physically fit and had enough leisure time to be happy.
Just under three-quarters said they had someone they could talk to at their school or university when they needed support, and 93% said they got on well with a parent or guardian.
Teens who enjoyed their studies reported having fewer friends who consumed drugs, cigarettes and alcohol than teens who were stressed.
Of the stressed teens, 32% said a lot of their friends drank alcohol and 15% said that a lot of their friends took drugs. – (Sapa, July 2009)
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