The government announced a comprehensive Children's Plan, designed to improve pupils' educational attainment, health, and happiness. The Plan set targets for 2020 for improving the skills children had at the start of both primary and secondary school, reducing obesity, eradicating child poverty, and 'significantly reducing' the number of children convicted of criminal offences. By 2020, schools would be expected to have 90 per cent of children 'developing well' across all areas of the early years foundation stage by age 5, and reading at or above expected levels in English and maths by age 11. £225 million would be provided to build or upgrade 3,500 playgrounds and set up 30 new supervised adventure playgrounds. The plan outlined a series of reviews and consultations, including: a review of the impact of the commercial world on children's well-being; a review of sex and relationship education; an action plan in 2008 to tackle housing overcrowding; a youth alcohol action plan and drugs strategy in spring 2008; and a children's workforce action plan early in 2008.
Source: The Children's Plan: Building brighter futures, Cm 7280, Department for Children, Schools and Families, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Hansard | DCSF press release | Childrens Society press release | NCH press release | CPAG press release | Daycare Trust press release | 4Children press release | CWDC press release | PSLA press release | Play England press release | IOSH press release | YJB press release | EDCM press release | Rainer press release | FPLD press release | Relate press release | NASUWT press release | ASCL press release | NGA press release | PAT press release | GTCE press release | SSAT press release | Primary Review press release | MHF press release | Addaction press release | DEF press release | SPUC press release | IPPR press release | CBI press release | IOD press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Telegraph report (1) | Telegraph report (2) | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | FT report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Community Care report | New Start report | Socialist Worker report
Date: 2007-Dec
A report examined the impact of alcohol advertising on young people following the tightening of the advertising codes in 2005. Children and young adults were being exposed to fewer alcohol advertisements on television: between 2002 and 2006 'advertising impacts' fell by 31 per cent for those aged 16-24, and by 39 per cent for those aged 10-15. There had been a significant decline in the proportion of young people saying that they felt alcohol adverts were aimed at them.
Source: Young People and Alcohol Advertising: An investigation of alcohol advertising following changes to the advertising code, Advertising Standards Authority (020 7492 2222) and Office of Communications
Links: Report | ASA press release
Date: 2007-Nov
A study found that heavy cannabis use among vulnerable young people could exacerbate existing social problems, such as low educational achievement, homelessness, and unemployment.
Source: Margaret Melrose with Penny Turner, John Pitts and David Barrett, The Impact of Heavy Cannabis Use on Young People: Vulnerability and youth transitions, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A report said that a government drive to cut drinking among young people was being undermined by lenient advertising rules which exposed children daily to television adverts for alcohol.
Source: Not in Front of the Children: Child protection and advertising, Alcohol Concern (020 7928 7377)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Aug
A survey found that fewer teenagers in England aged 11 to 15 were drinking alcohol: but those who did drink were consuming more than ever. 21 per cent had had an alcoholic drink in the previous week, down from 26 per cent in 2001: but among those who had drunk in the previous seven days, the average consumption was 11.4 units, up from 10.4 units in 2000.
Source: Elizabeth Fuller (ed.), Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England in 2006, NHS Information Centre (0845 300 6016)
Links: Report | NatCen press release | Addaction press release | Alcohol Concern press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Aug
The education inspectorate in Wales said that guidance issued by the Welsh Assembly Government might be helping to delay the age at which children in primary schools started smoking and experimenting with drugs and alcohol: but in secondary schools it had had little impact on changing the attitudes and values of a significant minority, who continued to smoke, drink alcohol to excess, or use illegal drugs.
Source: Education about Substance Misuse, HM Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (029 2044 6446)
Links: Report | HMCIETW press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A seminar report (by an official advisory body) said that a cross-governmental national strategy was needed to tackle drugs, alcohol misuse, and risky sexual behaviour by young people. In order to ensure that the strategy met young people?s needs, young people themselves should have a central role in the strategy?s development.
Source: Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and Young People: A review of the impact drugs and alcohol have on young people?s sexual behaviour, Independent Advisory Group for Sexual Health and HIV (Sexual_Health_IAG@dh.gsi.gov.uk)
Links: Report | IAG press release | FPA press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jun
Campaigners examined the impact of the government's alcohol harm-reduction strategy. The amount of alcohol consumed by girls aged between 11 and 13 had increased by 82.6 per cent between 2000 and 2006, and for boys by 43.4 per cent. Parents who gave alcohol to children aged under 15 should be prosecuted.
Source: Glass Half Empty?, Alcohol Concern (020 7928 7377)
Links: Summary | Alcohol Concern press release | BMA press release | Portman Group press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Apr
An article said that existing strategies for dealing with problems of substance misuse and teenage pregnancy, such as focusing on sexual risk and attitudes to drugs, had 'only limited benefits'. Improving the ethos of schools, raising students' self-esteem, and creating better teacher-pupil relationships might be more effective.
Source: Chris Bonell, Tony Fletcher and Jim McCambridge, 'Improving school ethos may reduce substance misuse and teenage pregnancy', British Medical Journal, 24 March 2007
Links: Abstract | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Mar
A survey found that the number of teenagers drinking alcohol and taking drugs in England was falling. 21 per cent of children aged 11-15 had had an alcoholic drink in the previous week (in 2006), down from 26 per cent in 2001; 17 per cent had taken drugs once a month or more in 2006, down from 19 per cent in 2005.
Source: Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England in 2006, NHS Information Centre (0845 300 6016)
Links: Report | NHS press release | DH press release | Drugscope press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Mar
A report examined the effectiveness of drug education in schools in Scotland. Virtually all pupils received drugs education. There was much good practice in drug education, but more could be done to enhance its effectiveness.
Source: Martine Stead et al., Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Drug Education in Scottish Schools, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report | Summary | Literature review | SE press release
Date: 2007-Mar
Researchers examined young people's resilience to drug use. Programmes that promoted discussion and tolerance of diversity within peer groups, based on a 'normative' approach to education, should be encouraged. These programmes could facilitate resilience by creating an environment where young people felt confident in expressing their personal choice about whether or not to use drugs, and in which peer pressure to use would be minimized.
Source: Lucy Dillon et al., Risk, Protective Factors and Resilience to Drug Use: Identifying resilient young people and learning from their experiences, Online Report 04/07, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report | Practice report
Date: 2007-Feb