Childhood happiness in steep decline over last decade
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, August 26, 2021
The number of children unhappy with their lives has dramatically increased over the last decade, concerning new research warns.
The Children’s Society’s Good Childhood report - an annual review of young people’s wellbeing - finds that seven per cent of 10- to 15-year-olds are not happy with their lives overall.
The statistic equates to 306,000 young people compared with 173,000 in 2011.
Children cited their appearance and school as key areas they are unhappy with.
The number of boys who say they are unhappy with their appearance has jumped from eight per cent to 13 per cent over the last decade while the figure relating to girls has increased from 15 per cent to 16 per cent.
“The gender divide between boys and girls’ worries over their appearance is closing – but rather than girls feeling better about their appearance, more boys are unhappy with the way they look,” the report states.
The proportion of children unhappy with their school lives has increased by three per cent since 2011 from nine per cent to 12 per cent, the report shows.
The report also examines how children have fared since the start of the pandemic. It suggests in the last year most children have coped relatively well with the upheaval and disruption caused by Covid-19 but four per cent of 10-to 17-year-olds - around a quarter of a million - have struggled.
“These children indicated that they have not coped well with the pandemic and also have low wellbeing, meaning they are unhappy with their lives,” the report states.
The Children’s Society warns that children who aren’t happy with their lives at 14, are much more likely than others to have symptoms of mental health conditions by 17, including self-harm and suicide attempts.
The charity is calling on the government to produce a “bold and ambitious” vision for childhood as the UK recovers from the pandemic.
Mark Russell, chief executive at The Children’s Society, said: “We cannot allow these worrying trends to get worse and, as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, it seems clearer than ever that we need a bold and ambitious vision for childhood in England.
“At every level, all work with children and young people should have the explicit aim of improving their wellbeing. From Cabinet-level leadership and close monitoring of children’s wellbeing by national government to really get to grips with how young people are feeling, right down to local early support services for mental health and social care in every community. It’s time to act now to protect children’s futures. They are worth the investment.”
Responding to the report, Tom Madders, director of campaigns at YoungMinds said “more needs to be done to reverse this downward trend”.
“It’s clear that the pandemic is just one part of the picture however, with young people facing multiple pressures that are impacting their overall wellbeing. School pressure and concerns about appearance have had a major impact.”
Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s shadow minister for children and early years, called on the government to increase data collection on children’s wellbeing and reverse funding cuts to services for young people.
She said: “Children’s services which provide support and early intervention for young people have been stripped back by a decade of Conservative cuts.
“Ministers have slashed school funding leading to soaring class sizes, extracurricular activities being abandoned and young people increasingly unhappy with their school life.”
