[G. Adams]

This isn't the article I was expecting. I read a study a few years back suggesting British children socially grow up faster than American children on average because we are introduced to adult themes much earlier through programmes like Eastenders, Brookside, Hollyoaks and even that bloody Byker Grove. In the UK these programmes all present themes like homosexuality, aids, adultery, a little fetishism sometimes, murder, hard drugs use etc at child friendly time slots. Whereas, the study argued, in the US, these themes are usually avoided and when touched upon usually lightly. The effect of which is that British children are usually less ignorant of wider social issues that American children.

But coming back to your points, why would children hitting puberty earlier be a problem in itself? Thinking of a playground situation, the sooner you hit that growth spurt the better, for your self confidence and for looking out for yourself. I know this guy who lives at the end of my road five years younger than me, yet because of his condition (precautious puberty, spelling could be wrong) he has been bigger than me since he was nine, hitting six foot at 12, and starting his bloody beard a year later. Thick as a brick mind. But I doubt he ever got bullied.