A consultation exercise began on a proposed nationwide programme to create and improve play opportunities for children and young people aged 16 and under, funded by the New Opportunities Fund with proceeds from the national lottery.
Source: Lottery Funding for Children s Play, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6185) and five other organisations
Links: Consultation Document (Word file)
Date: 2002-Dec
A report said that statutory agencies, such as national health and education services, are failing to identify those vulnerable children and young people who are being sexually exploited in their communities.
Source: Julie Taylor-Browne, More than one Chance! Young people involved in prostitution speak out, ECPAT UK (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) (020 7501 8927)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
A Scottish Executive report proposed a range of measures to support young runaways and children at risk of sexual exploitation through prostitution.
Source: Vulnerable Children: Young runaways and children abused through prostitution, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
Campaigners voiced their concern about the level of HIV education for children and young people. They said that sex and relationships education should give more attention to HIV/AIDS, not only to provide children and young people with the information and understanding they need to protect their health, but also to combat the prejudice associated with the virus.
Source: Press release 2.12.02, National Children s Bureau (020 7843 6029), HIV Forum on Children and Young People, and Sex Education Forum
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Dec
Deliberate self harm is common in adolescents, especially females, said researchers who surveyed over 6,000 pupils aged 15 and 16 from 41 schools in England.
Source: Keith Hawton, Karen Rodham, Emma Evans and Rosamund Weatherall, 'Deliberate self harm in adolescents: self report survey in schools in England', British Medical Journal 23.11.02
Links: Article
Date: 2002-Nov
A research review found the problem of bullying among girls is going undetected because of the mechanisms they use to cope with it. The government was urged to set up a working group to tackle the problem.
Source: If Looks Could Kill: Young women and bullying, Young Women s Christian Association (01865 304215)
Links: Press release
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/3, Digest 123, paragraph 3.5
Date: 2002-Nov
Teenage girls are victims of soaring levels of serious violence, researchers reportedly found.
Source: Research by Violence Research Group (University of Wales) reported in The Independent, 7.11.02
Links: Article
Date: 2002-Nov
A study evaluated the effectiveness of projects addressing young men's health issues.
Source: Trefor Lloyd, Boys and Young Men s Health: What works?, Health Development Agency (020 7430 0850)
Links: Report (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/3, Digest 123, paragraph 2.2
Date: 2002-Nov
A review examined policy, practice and research in Scotland regarding young disabled people as they become adults, and made a series of recommendations for improving support.
Source: Kirsten Stalker, Young Disabled People Moving into Adulthood in Scotland, Foundations N42, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: JRF Foundations N42
Date: 2002-Nov
The government said that it will produce a Green Paper on children at risk, which will consider measures to reduce levels of educational under-achievement, offending, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancy, and ill health.
Source: Press release 30.10.02, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Oct
A report presented good practice ideas on how to meet the diverse needs of young people through housing management, strategic planning, community development and partnership working. The report presented the social and business case for housing associations to rise to the challenges of involving young people and delivering the range of services they need.
Source: The bIGpicture: Young People and Housing Associations, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122, paragraph 4.3
Date: 2002-Oct
A report highlighted confusion in the homelessness sector around the different kinds of prevention services currently offered, and how this lack of clarity can be a barrier between quality local services and the local needs of young people.
Source: Safe in the City: A practical approach to preventing youth homelessness, Safe in the City (0207 922 5710)
Links: Press release
Date: 2002-Oct
A report highlighted the extreme distress suffered by children and their families when there are mental health problems, and reported on the work of an information and advice service designed to help people in such situations.
Source: Working to Alleviate the Distress of Children and Families with Mental Health Problems, YoungMinds (020 7336 8445)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release | Community Care article
Date: 2002-Oct
Teenagers welcome the opportunity to discuss health concerns with a health professional, but the effect on their actual lifestyles is 'modest', researchers found.
Source: Zoe Walker et al., 'Health promotion for adolescents in primary care: randomised controlled trial', British Medical Journal 7.9.02
Links: Article
Date: 2002-Sep
Research found that the average young person in Britain spends less time engaged in physical activity than the average pensioner.
Source: Kimberly Fisher, Chewing the Fat: The story time diaries tell about physical activity in the United Kingdom, Working Paper 2002-13, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2002-Sep
Guidelines were published for involving children and young people particularly those who have a chronic illness or physical disability in local decisions about health services development.
Source: Jane Lightfoot and Patricia Sloper, Having a Say in Health: Guidelines for involving young patients in health services development, Social Policy Research Unit/University of York (01904 433608)
Links: Guidelines (pdf) | Research summary (pdf)
Date: 2002-Sep
Research found that the mental health needs of homeless young people are considerable, but that current services do not generally provide adequate support.
Source: The Mental Health Needs of Homeless Young People, Mental Health Foundation (020 7802 0300)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2002-Aug
The government announced that local systems to identify, track and refer children at risk (for example, of offending, drug taking and teenage pregnancy) would be put in place across the country in the course of the following year.
Source: Press release 16 August 2002, Children and Young Person's Unit/Department for Education and Skills (0870 000 2288)
Links: Press release (pdf)
Date: 2002-Aug
Researchers found that self-injury is often used by young people as a way of relieving emotional distress and preventing suicide.
Source: Paul Bywaters and Alison Rolfe, Look Beyond the Scars: Understanding and Responding to Self-Injury and Self-Harm, NCH (0845 7626579)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2002-Jul
Improvements in teacher-delivered sex education have some beneficial effect on the quality of young people's sexual relationships, but do not reduce sexual risk taking in adolescents, a study found.
Source: Daniel Wright et al., 'Limits of teacher delivered sex education: interim behavioural outcomes from randomised trial', British Medical Journal 15.6.02
Links: BMJ article
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 30/2, Digest 118 (paragraph 12.3)
Date: 2002-Jun
A research review identified key barriers faced by young disabled people moving into adulthood.
Source: J. Morris, Moving into Adulthood, Foundations 512, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: JRF Foundations 512
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/2, Digest 122 (paragraph 1.8)
Date: 2002-Jun