Daily roundup: Depression, child mortality figures and online safety
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Thousands of young children treated for depression; U-turn on plans to scrap child mortality statistics, and online safety course launched, all in the news today.
Thousands of children aged 10 and younger are seeking treatment for depression and stress. According to the Daily Mail, 4,391 children under 10 years old have been treated for depression, stress or anxiety in the past five years. Experts blame bullying and the pressures of modern life.
The Office for National Statistics is to continue producing statistics on child mortality after proposals to end the practice were ditched. The decision follows a consultation on the plans that highlighted opposition from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), the NSPCC, the National Children’s Bureau and the Lullaby Trust. “Without these annual figures, the drive to improve child health in the UK would have taken a major backward step,” Hilary Cass, RCPCH president said.
An online course designed to help professionals understand how children use the internet and how to keep them safe has been launched. Keeping Children Safe Online has been launched by the NSPCC and the National Crime Agency’s Ceop Command after research revealed that 74 per cent of social workers said they needed greater support with child protection cases involving online abuse.
The National Crime Agency is warning people who use phone apps to meet others for casual sex to ensure their partner is above the age of consent. Newsbeat reports that the warning was issued after a number of teenagers rang the NSPCC’s helpline reporting bad experiences after downloading apps such as Grindr and Blendr.
Youth charities UK Youth and Ambition have joined a campaign calling for an end to Page three topless photos of women. Both organisations said they have joined the No More Page Three campaign because they believe that young people should be able to “learn and develop in a positive, nurturing environment that respects them for their individual talents and strengths”.
The government will make it a criminal offence to smoke in cars in England when children are passengers, a Downing Street source has said. The BBC reports that after MPs voted in favour of an amendment to the Children and Families Bill, which empowers, rather than compels, ministers to bring in a ban in England, a source told the BBC that parliament had spoken and a ban would happen.
