26/08/2021
The number of British children who are dissatisfied with their lives on the rise-report
The Children’s Association said that the “disturbing” findings are a warning sign of future problems for teenagers. A report shows that more and more British children are dissatisfied with their lives, and many worry about school, friends and their appearance.
The Children’s Association found that the number of children aged 10 to 15 who said they were unhappy increased from 173,000 (3.8%) in 2009-10 to an estimated 306,000 (6.7%) in 2018-19. It said that this 6.7%—one in every 15 young people—is the highest percentage in the past ten years.
According to research conducted by the University of Essex before the Covid pandemic in early 2020, the charity expressed regret that “children’s happiness has declined significantly over the past ten years”.
Its chief executive, Mark Russell, said: "It is deeply saddening to see the well-being of children have been declining for 10 years, and that many children have not been able to cope with the epidemic well. Unhappiness may be a warning sign of potential problems in the later stages of adolescence."advertise
The Children’s Association’s 10th annual "Good Childhood Report" brings together many different research projects. The report also found that from April to June this year, more than 2,000 British teenagers between the ages of 10 and 17 were asked to score between 10 and 10 points. . Using key areas of life to measure their happiness, family ranked first with an average score of 8.1, followed by health (8) and friends (7.8).
However, children are not very satisfied with their future (6.9), school (7.1) and appearance (7.2). More respondents scored below the midpoint, which shows that they are dissatisfied with the school rather than any other field-12.2%, while the family only 6%.
The report found that 1 in 25 (4%) children (4%) are struggling with the upheaval brought about by the new coronavirus. According to the report, although the number is small, they are likely to be young people in need of mental health help.
Research from the University of Essex shows that almost as many boys and girls are dissatisfied with their appearance. The charity stated that in the past ten years, the proportion of boys has risen sharply from 8% to 13%, but it has only increased slightly among girls, rising from 15% to 16%. I feel more and more pressure to look good."Schools have also become a source of dissatisfaction. The proportion of children who expressed dissatisfaction with school life increased from 9% ten years ago to 12% in 2018-19.
The Children’s Association added that body image and school are “two areas where young people face pressure and maintain high standards, which adversely affect their health”.
It warns that children who are dissatisfied with their lives at the age of 14 are "more likely" than their peers to develop symptoms of mental illness or self-harm or attempt to self-harm at the age of 17. It recommends that 14-year-old young people with low life satisfaction should be helped to establish relationships and avoid being bullied, so as not to fall into mental illness.
Tom Madders, director of activities for the mental health charity Young Minds, said: “It’s shocking that the happiness level of children and young people has further declined, and thousands of people are not concerned about their overall lives. satisfy.
"Last year was a very difficult year for many young people, who are struggling to cope with social isolation, loneliness and worries about the future.
"It is clear that the pandemic is only part of it, but young people face multiple pressures that affect their overall well-being."The charity’s conclusions are based on data from the University of Essex’s Understanding Society Project and the Millennium Cohort Study conducted by University College London, which tracked the lives of more than 18,000 people born in 2000-02, and the impact on children and young people. Interviews and population statistics from the country office.
Russell urged ministers to develop an action plan to improve the happiness of young people, start measuring their annual happiness in the same way as adults, and increase the availability of early intervention services to prevent the deterioration of mental health problems .
Sir Peter Wanless, Chief Executive Officer of NSPCC, said: "We know that children are still struggling to see themselves in a certain way. Since April last year, we have provided nearly 5,000 consultations on body image.
"This is beyond the pandemic. The findings of the Good Childhood report show a worrying long-term trend. We must listen to and respond to what children and young people tell us about their lives."
The Ministry of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comments.
