The annual report of the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy welcomed an increase in the number of teachers qualifying to teach the sex and relationships education module. But it warned that this progress would be undermined unless the government ensured the status of the subject by making it part of the national curriculum.
Source: Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, Annual Report 2003/04, Department for Education and Skills (Teenage.Pregnancy@dfes.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report (pdf) | TPU press release | Brook press release | FPA press release | Children Now report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report brought together existing research and knowledge about children and young people involved in prostitution. It covered the legal context, as well as how and why young people become involved, their experiences, and the barriers they faced in exiting. The report recommended a range of changes to legislation, policy and services, as well as further research.
Source: Abigail Levy, Stigmatised, Marginalised and Criminalised: An overview of the issues relating to children and young people involved in prostitution, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Dec
A report was published of 270 notifications of, and 122 visits to, children and adolescents detained under the Mental Health Act on adult psychiatric wards, including key findings, recommendations and guidance.
Source: Safeguarding Children and Adolescents Detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 on Adult Psychiatric Wards, Mental Health Act Commission (0115 943 7100)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
A report shows trends over the period 1987-2003 in data from young people involved in physical activities (outside of school) on a weekly basis. Children aged 10-15 were more likely to report exercising vigorously three times or more in the previous week than they were in 1995: but they were more likely to think of themselves as unfit.
Source: Trends: Young People and Physical Activity - Attitudes to and participation in exercise and sport 1987 2003, Schools Health Education Unit (01392 667272)
Links: Summary | BBC report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report looked at the experiences of 50 young witnesses, aged 7-17, giving evidence in criminal court proceedings - the majority giving evidence in sexual offence cases. Child witnesses often waited long periods before their cases came to trial, making their experience even more drawn-out and painful. The experience of giving evidence was often traumatic, leaving many children feeling distressed, upset and angry.
Source: Joyce Plotnikoff and Richard Woolfson, In Their Own Words: The experiences of 50 young witnesses in criminal proceedings, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2500) and Victim Support
Links: Summary | NSPCC press release | Children Now report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report examined the provision of mental health services for children and young people. It made a series of recommendations to government and other agencies, aimed at plugging the gaps and ensuring that children facing the most complex and damaging problems had access to the support they needed.
Source: Carole Easton and J. Carpentieri, Can I Talk to You Again?: Restoring the emotional and mental well-being of children and young people, Childline (020 7650 3444)
Links: Report (pdf) | Childline press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A paper provided a systematic and critical review of the research literature relating to gaming machine, lottery and pools coupons practice by children and young people under 18. It concluded that there was a lack of substantial data on the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling among this age group, and that it was not possible to give reliable prevalence figures for problem gambling in childhood.
Source: Corinne May-Chahal, Fiona Measham, Morag Brannock, Jude Amos and Paul Dagnall, Young People and Gambling in Britain, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (020 7211 6200)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Nov
A survey found that peer pressure and the threat of bullying were prompting schoolchildren to choose highly processed snacks and fast foods over healthy options.
Source: Anna Ludvigsen and Neera Sharma, Burger Boy and Sporty Girl: Children and young people's attitudes toward food in school, Barnardo s (01268 520224)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
A new book recorded the views and experiences of children and young people whose parents had divorced. They discussed a range of issues, including residence and contact; money; personal difficulties; and friendship.
Source: Bren Neale and Jen Flowerdew, Parent Problems 2: Looking back on our parents' divorce, Young Voice (fax: 020 8979 2952)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Nov
A qualitative study in Scotland explored the lives of young people aged 15-27 whose parents had a drug and/or alcohol problem. Many felt that their parents were unable to provide consistent practical or emotional care.
Source: Angus Bancroft, Sarah Wilson, Sarah Cunningham-Burley, Kathryn Backett-Milburn and Hugh Masters, Parental Drug and Alcohol Misuse: Resilience and transition among young people, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 064
Date: 2004-Oct
A report evaluated an innovative scheme for preventing youth homelessness, which delivered intensive packages of support through multi-agency working. Most young people in the sample were considered to be less at risk of homelessness after their participation, although the extent of reduction varied.
Source: Sarah Dickens and Kandy Woodfield, New Approaches to Youth Homelessness Prevention: A qualitative evaluation of the Safe in the City cluster schemes, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 084
Date: 2004-Oct
A report highlighted the action taken by the Scottish Executive to improve the life chances of children brought up in an environment of drugs misuse.
Source: Hidden Harm: Scottish Executive Response to the Report of the Inquiry by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
A study estimated that up to 52,000 young people were found homeless by local authorities in England in 2003 - about 1 in 60 of all those aged 15-19. Around 1 in 8 of those homeless young people (up to 6,700) might have had recent experience of rough sleeping.
Source: Nicholas Pleace and Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Centrepoint Youth Homelessness Index: An estimate of youth homelessness for England, Centrepoint (020 7426 5300)
Links: Report (pdf) | Centrepoint press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
A briefing examined the problem of youth suicide. It said that social policy measures needed to prevent suicide by addressing the broader socio-economic and environmental determinants of health, while specific communities might benefit from targeted interventions.
Source: Philip Crowley, Jean Kilroe and Sara Burke, Youth Suicide Prevention, Health Development Agency (020 7430 0850)
Links: HDA press release
Date: 2004-Oct
A review provided a synthesis of 25 studies of mentoring designed to: re-integrate disaffected youth; provide peer support for young people on issues such as sexual behaviour and drug use; provide support and career development in the workplace; and sustain those with a disabling illness.
Source: Ray Pawson, Mentoring Relationships: An explanatory review, Working Paper 21, Centre for Evidence Based Policy and Practice/University of London (020 7882 7657)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
An inquiry into self-harm among young people published an interim report, focusing on the prevalence of self-harm, the reasons behind the behaviour, and how services were intervening in the lives of those who self-harmed.
Source: National Inquiry Into Self-harm Among Young People, What Do We Already Know?: Prevalence, risk factors and models of intervention, Mental Health Foundation (020 7802 0300) and Camelot Foundation
Links: Report (Word file) | Inquiry press release (Word file) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
The government published a national service framework for children, young people and maternity services, designed to ensure that all children and young people received health and social care services that were age-appropriate and accessible, and recognized their needs as different.
Source: National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Framework (pdf links) | Summary (pdf) | DH press release | HDA press release | Healthcare Commission press release | NHS Confederation press release | RCPsych press release | CSCI press release | ADSS press release | NYA press release | NCH press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Sep
The Big Lottery Fund launched a 200 million fund (the Young People s Fund) to promote the well-being and personal development of young people.
Source: Press release 23 September 2004, Big Lottery Fund (020 7211 1800)
Links: BLF press release
Date: 2004-Sep
A report said that young runaways were being let down by out-of-date information about services; it also criticized the government for the lack of long-term funding for projects.
Source: Jane Bowden, The Runaways Project 2003-2004, ChildLine (020 7650 3444), Get Connected and Runaway Helpline
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Childline press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2004-Sep
A briefing paper summarized research which found that the mental health of teenagers had sharply declined between 1974 and 1999. The chances that young people aged 15 would have behavioural problems - such as lying, stealing and being disobedient - had more than doubled. The rate of emotional problems such as anxiety and depression had increased by 70 per cent.
Source: Ann Hagell, Time Trends in Adolescent Well-being, Nuffield Foundation (020 7631 0566)
Links: Briefing (pdf) | Nuffield Foundation press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
A report summarized the answers to over 100 health-related behaviour questions put to young people aged 10-15, and collected from 196 primary and secondary schools.
Source: Young People in 2003, Schools Health Education Unit (01392 667272)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Aug
A report described the views of over a thousand children in Northern Ireland aged 5-18 on the issues which most concerned them. 57 per cent expressed concern over the amenities available to them; 16 per cent felt paramilitary/sectarian activity affected their lives; 10 per cent raised issues around racial and homophobic discrimination.
Source: Shout Out Soon, Children's Law Centre (028 9024 5704)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Jul
A survey of child health (in 35 countries in Europe and North America) revealed high levels of alcohol abuse and unprotected sex among young people aged 11-15 in Britain.
Source: C. Currie et al., Young People's Health in Context: Health behaviour in school-aged children, World Health Organisation (mailto:bookorders@who.int)
Links: Summary | Children Now report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
A study explored what young women said about their first heterosexual intercourse. It sought to contribute to an understanding of young people s experiences and the impact of broader social factors on sexual health, and the connections between the two policy areas of violence against women and sexual health.
Source: Evelyn Gillan, In Love or Just Curious: Exploring young women s experience of first sexual intercourse, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships/University of Edinburgh (0131 651 1832)
Links: Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
A report explored the ways in which peer advocacy for children and young people had been used in a selection of funded projects, and evaluated the relative success of different models in achieving desired outcomes.
Source: Robert Harnett, Models of Peer Advocacy Developed by Selected Projects Funded by Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund: Evaluation report, National Children s Bureau (020 7843 6029)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
A briefing presented findings from key research on teenage pregnancy and parenthood. It covered teenage sexual behaviour, sources of sex and relationships information, preventing teenage pregnancy, and support for teenage parents.
Source: Teenage Pregnancy: Overview of the research evidence, Health Development Agency (020 7430 0850)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
A survey in 2003 of children aged 11-15 found that 21 per cent had taken drugs in the previous year (an increase from 20 per cent in 2002 and 2001); 12 per cent had taken drugs in the previous month (unchanged); 9 per cent were regular smokers (down from 10 per cent in 2002) and 25 per cent had drunk alcohol in the previous week (24 per cent in 2002).
Source: Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking among Young People in England in 2003: Headline figures, Department of Health (020 7972 5581)
Links: Report (pdf) | DH press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A qualitative study looked at the impact of mentoring on young people, based on three different services in Scotland. The researchers concluded that, while mentoring could not remedy all the ills facing vulnerable young people, it could be a useful part of the range of interventions. To be effective, the range of mentoring approaches needed to suit young people's individual circumstances. Existing typologies of mentoring and befriending did not address the variety of styles of mentoring described by young people in the sample.
Source: Kate Philip, Caroline King and Janet Shucksmith, Sharing a Laugh? Qualitative study of mentoring interventions with young people, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | Findings | JRF press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A report contained an analysis of health and health-related behaviour among those aged under 20 years in the United Kingdom during the period 1990 to 2001.
Source: The Health of Children and Young People, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf links) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
A research study compared the different kinds of support offered by single-site foyers, dispersed foyers, and also floating support schemes to young people.
Source: Joan Smith, Dispersed Foyers: A research study, Foyer Federation (020 7430 2212)
Links: Link removed
Date: 2004-Feb
A report contained updated data on the concerns of young people aged 12-15 over issues such as health, school and career problems.
Source: Trends: Young People and Emotional Health and Well Being Incorporating Bullying 1983-2003, Schools Health Education Unit (01392 667272)
Links: SHEU press release (1) | SHEU press release (2)
Date: 2004-Feb
A briefing paper urged schools to ensure that bullying of young lesbian and bisexual women was covered in anti-bullying policies, and to enforce a 'zero tolerance' attitude to such behaviour among teachers and pupils.
Source: Pride not Prejudice: Young lesbian and bisexual women, Young Women s Christian Association (01865 304215)
Links: YWCA press release
Date: 2004-Feb