Daily roundup: Asylum-seeking children, a mobile youth club and antisocial behaviour

Children seeking asylum in the UK are left frightened and confused by the experience, a report by The Children’s Society has claimed. Despite some recent improvements, researchers found that many of the UK Border Agency’s (UKBA) practices fail to take the needs of children into account. The report highlights failures to ensure children understand what is happening to them, an absence of child-friendly information, and a “wide-spread culture of disbelief” among UKBA staff. Matthew Reed, chief executive of The Children’s Society, called for a fundamental shift in the attitude toward children at UKBA.

A mobile youth centre scheme is to be extended across parts of rural Cumbria after proving a hit with young people, according to the News & Star. The Big White Van was launched by charity Young Cumbria, which started the scheme in the Cumbrian borough of Allerdale after floods damaged youth clubs in 2009. It proved so successful that another bus was purchased to cover the Copeland area and there are now plans for the mobile youth centre to cover a further two localities. Clare Taylorson, youth and community leader for west Cumbria, said: “We have had a fantastic reception with young people in different rural areas of Cumbria.”

Evidence on how to address antisocial behaviour in children has been published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology. The work collates findings from existing research in a bid to aid understanding of troublesome behaviour in schools, and specific issues such as bullying, autism and ADHD. Professor Pam Maras, one of the editors of the study, said while antisocial behaviour in schools is a topic of major concern, there is a dearth of work on the psychological explanations for its occurrence, or suitable interventions. This “is intended to address that deficit,” she said.

Fathers in London are talking to their children about alcohol and responsible drinking at an earlier age than those in other parts of the UK. According to a study by brewers AB InBev UK, around one in four of fathers in London discuss responsible drinking when their children are aged between seven and eight-years-old. Fathers in Northern Ireland were found to leave it latest – with half waiting until their children are in their teens. In the North East, 32 per cent wait until their children are between 13- and 14-years-old to start the conversation. Siobhan McCann, head of campaigns at alcohol education charity Drinkaware, said: “When it comes to alcohol, the more information your child has, and the earlier they get it, the better.”

And finally, Only Fools and Horses star John Challis is at the centre of an escalating row with a children's home, the Hereford Times reports. The actor, who played the character Boycie in the BBC sitcom has forced the owners of a children’s home neighbouring his property in Herefordshire to put up a 12ft hedge to stop children looking into his property. Challis has previously called for the children’s home to be relocated after two young residents broke into his home earlier this year.