UN Report: SA Worst Country To Raise Kids- Worse Than Somalia, DRC, Zim

Every day our timelines get inundated with stories making scary, outrageous or extravagant claims. Many of these reference studies, be they scientific,. social or economic. At first glance they seem credible. 

Many of them are true, but some are patently false, designed to push our raw emotional buttons. Many of the posts are designed as provocative clickbait, often exploiting our social and political insecurities. 

THIS ARRIVED ON MY TIMELINE AND FREAKED ME OUT

This arrived on my Facebook timeline: UN Report: SA Worst Country To Raise Kids – Worse Than Somalia, DRC, Zim

In a presentation released by Ruth Custode (The UNICEF Emergency Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean), she revealed that extreme levels of violence is jeopardizing the right to education for millions of children around the world.

Ruth went on to say that the unusually high number of murder cases were the main cause of deaths of South African children in South Africa. 

She also revealed:

• 
  
• South Africa’s 76.94 out of 100000 schoolchildren who died was far higher than in the Congo and Somalia, which are at 12 and eight deaths per 100000 respectively;
  
• More South Africa schoolchildren died than anywhere else in the world with 76.94 deaths per 100000, compared to the UK which was at 8.92 and the US at 12.97. These figures included infanticide;
  
• South Africa was ranked second for small arms possession, higher than the US and UK.
  

Terrifying if true!  

BUT IS IT TRUE?

Unicef South Africa Spokesperson, Rayana Rassool, refutes the claims. No, we are by no means the worst country for children to live in. We are currently seeking to authentify the data from our Latin American colleagues.

Rayana Rassool claims the following:

• SA's homicide rate is currently sitting at 5.5 per 100 000 school children and not at 76.94.
  
• The global child homicide average is 2.4 per 100 000 children. 5.5 is still high. We have to put measures in place to combat that.
  

Obviously, 5.5 per 100 000 is still too high, but nowhere near  76.94  per 100 000 as claimed. These inflammatory posts tend to reappear every so often, re-igniting indignation and panic. Both of these heightened states tend to result in unfiltered keyboard warriors flaming the fear with sexist, racist. misogynistic posts! 

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

So before applying to live in New Zealand, or posting vile rants, follow the these steps:

1. Breathe deeply
   
2. Read the actual article. Yes, click the link, read the article and make sure the headline accurately reflects the headline. Many people on Facebook do not read the actual article, but respond to the Headline. Think of Facebook headlines as those newspaper posters you see on street poles. 
   
3. Once you have read the article, do a google search. You will often see other articles that refute or disagree with the claims made in the one most people are talking about
4. Check the source of the post- is it a reputable source
5. Then post a comment- which by this stage should be more informed. 

If you are still feeling freaked out and overwhelmed, phone a friend, go for coffee, dip your feet in the sea, go for a walk in a forest, play with your dogs, read a book, make sandcastles, whistle, and as mentioned, breathe deeply!