A report said that the number of teenagers with mental health problems might have started to decline after an 'alarming' 25-year increase.
Source: Ann Hagell, Time Trends in Adolescent Well-Being: Update 2009, Nuffield Foundation
Links: Report | Nuffield Foundation press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2009-Dec
An article examined the relationship between young people's time use and maternal employment. Young people with employed mothers spend more time alone with a father, and more time with neither parent. Those with mothers employed full time spent significantly more time watching television than those whose mothers were not employed, especially when they were not near any parents. Time in achievement-related activities when in the presence of a father did not increase to compensate for the loss in time spent in achievement-related activities when alone with a mother.
Source: Killian Mullan, 'Young people's time use and maternal employment in the UK', British Journal of Sociology, Volume 60 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Dec
A report said that family breakdown was the root cause of youth homelessness, and was likely to increase as unemployment rose. Nearly two-thirds of young people who had left home over the previous year did so because of arguments and a breakdown in relationships.
Source: Jennifer Monfort, Family Life: The significance of family to homeless young people, Centrepoint (020 7426 5300)
Links: Report | Centrepoint press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Nov
A new book examined the personal, familial, and structural factors that affected long-term outcomes for homeless young people.
Source: Shelley Mallett, Doreen Rosenthal, Deborah Keys and Roger Averill, Moving Out, Moving On: Young people's pathways in and through homelessness, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Nov
A new book examined the impact of parental employment or unemployment on the educational and emotional well-being of their children.
Source: Linda Cusworth, The Impact of Parental Employment: Young people, well-being and educational achievement, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Nov
Researchers examined young people's involvement in risky behaviour during secondary school. They considered the social activities that young people engaged in, and how these might prevent or reduce risky behaviour. They also explored how young people who engaged in risky behaviours performed at school, and the decisions that they made after completing compulsory education.
Source: Andreas Cebulla and Wojtek Tomaszewski, Risky Behaviour and Social Activities, Research Report RR173, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined trends in the suicide rate among young people between 1997 and 2003, and what proportion had been in contact with mental health services prior to their death.
Source: Amy Cheung, 'Suicide rate in young people in the UK declined from 1997 to 2003', Evidence-Based Mental Health, Volume 12 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Oct
A new book examined the difficulties that arose for researchers and practitioners when working with sexually exploited young people. Although child protection interventions needed to guide social work, other agencies such as health, education, housing, and training each had a role to play in supporting a sexually exploited young person.
Source: Jenny Pearce, Young People and Sexual Exploitation, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Sep
A survey examined participation by children and young people in out-of-school sporting opportunities, and their total participation in sporting opportunities both in and out of school/college. Just over 1 in 5 of those aged 5-19 (21 per cent) took part in 3 hours or more of organized sport per week: whereas 47 per cent did no organized sport.
Source: Ipsos MORI, Children and Young People's Participation in Organised Sport: Omnibus survey, Research Report RR135, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by a committee of MSPs said that there was 'disturbing evidence' that children under 5 were not being monitored for mental well-being by statutory services. It expressed 'deep concern' at the lack of progress in several areas of the national framework on child and adolescent mental health.
Source: Inquiry Into Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being, 7th Report 2009, SP Paper 309, Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jun
A report examined the complexities involved in identifying and responding to the needs of children and young people who had been trafficked into and within the United Kingdom. Trafficking was often hidden behind a wall of silence – with children and young people on one side, afraid or unable to talk, and practitioners on the other, finding it hard to identify the child or young person, respond to their needs, or prosecute their abusers.
Source: Jenny Pearce, Patricia Hynes and Silvie Bovarnick, Breaking the Wall of Silence: Practitioners' responses to trafficked children and young people, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Report | Summary | Bedfordshire University press release
Date: 2009-Jun
The Law Lords ruled that local councils had a duty to assess the wider needs of young people aged 16-17 who became homeless – and not simply provide accommodation.
Source: R (on the application of G) (FC) v London Borough of Southwark, UKHL 26 (Session 2008-09), House of Lords Judicial Office (020 7219 3111)
Links: Text of judgement | BBC report | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-May
A think-tank report said that mental health problems in children and teenagers had a significant impact on their chances of success in employment and family life as well as contact with the criminal justice system. People with conduct problems in adolescence were at double the risk of leaving school with no qualifications. They were also more likely to be out of work or low paid, to become teenage parents, and to be divorced later in life.
Source: Marcus Richards and Rosemary Abbott, Childhood Mental Health and Life Chances in Post-war Britain: Insights from three national birth cohort studies, Smith Institute (020 7592 3618)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-May
A literature review examined the concept of 'neglect' as it applied to adolescents. It highlighted important differences in the way neglect might be conceptualized at different stages of childhood, and a relative lack of attention to this within the literature on definitions.
Source: Mike Stein, Gwyther Rees, Leslie Hicks and Sarah Gorin, Neglected Adolescents: Literature review, Research Brief RBX-09-04, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief
Date: 2009-Apr
The government published a strategy for improving the health of children and young people. There would be stronger and better joined-up support during the crucial early years of life, including more health visitors; and a strengthened role for Sure Start children's centres with, for the first time, each centre having access to a named health visitor.
Source: Healthy Lives, Brighter Futures: The strategy for children and young people's health, Department of Health (08701 555455) and Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Strategy | Summary | Impact assessment | Hansard | DH press release | DCSF press release | RCN press release | Action for Children press release | CPAG press release | NCT press release | CDC press release | NCB press release | Scope press release | Conservative Party press release | Community Care report | New Start report | Guardian report | Pulse report
Date: 2009-Feb
A report said that there was no evidence that the net impact of the commercial world on children's well-being had been negative over the previous 15 years: on the contrary, there was 'plenty of evidence' that aspects of the commercial world enhanced the well-being of children.
Source: Children's Wellbeing in a Commercial World, Advertising Association (020 7340 1100)
Links: Advertising Association press release | SkillsActive press release
Date: 2009-Jan
A survey found that although the majority of young people were relatively content, there was a significant core of young people for whom life had little or no purpose – with those not in education, employment or training (NEET) most likely to feel this way. More than 1 in 10 (12 per cent) of young people aged 16-25 felt that life was meaningless; more than one-quarter (27 per cent) admitted that they were 'often' or 'always' down or depressed.
Source: The Prince's Trust YouGov Youth Index, Prince's Trust (020 7543 1234)
Links: Report | Prince's Trust press release | Action for Children press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jan