Daily roundup 22 September: Fitness, social work campaign, and youth mentors

Fitbits and other fitness trackers could actually be putting children off exercise, researchers have warned. Sky News reports that a study of 13- and 14-year-olds found that the devices could be contributing to low self-esteem among those children who do not reach targets, such as 10,000 daily steps. Boys and girls at two secondary schools were followed over an eight-week period and researchers found that, despite initial enthusiasm for the targets, the pupils' activity levels declined steadily over time.


The British Association of Social Workers has launched a new campaign to try to reverse the flow of social workers leaving the profession. The union said it is taking action because of the findings of a recent study it conducted that highlighted increasing demands and diminishing resources in many social service departments.


The BBC is to teach its senior staff to be in touch with the younger generation by giving them their own young mentors to advise them. The Telegraph reports that the broadcaster hopes its "reverse mentoring" scheme, which launches next month, will stem the tide of young audiences losing interest in the BBC's output. The scheme will apply to managers in its radio and education sections which will have their own "mentor" to advise them on how to appeal to audiences under 30.


A seven-year-old boy has been found dead at a house in a Shropshire town. The Guardian reports that a woman was also found at the house in Church Stretton. She had significant injuries and has been taken to hospital. A spokesman for West Mercia police said officers were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.


Virtually all school staff in England are paying for school resources from their own pockets to plug the funding gap, according to a survey by the National Education Union. A survey conducted by the union of more than 1,800 school staff in England found that 94 per cent paid for classroom resources or equipment from their own pocket in the last school year, with a third (33 per cent) saying they spent more last year than in previous years. Nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) said they did so because their school did not have enough funds.


Reports of children affected by domestic abuse have soared by 77 per cent in four years, according to the NSPCC. The Independent reports that the charity received a record number of calls from adults concerned about violent and abusive behaviour around children last year, reaching 4,749 - up more than three quarters from 2012/13.


Children with common ear infections should not be given antibiotics, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has warned. The Guardian reports that Nice has said that parents should treat the infections with paracetamol or ibuprofen instead.


Children labelled "average" by teachers are missing out because more focus goes on those at the bottom of the class, a report has found. The Telegraph reports that children classified in the middle range risk having late-blooming ability ignored by teachers because teachers assume they are neither struggling nor overachieving.