Happiness of British children declines in past decade

British children are less happy now than they were a decade ago, new research suggests.

Around 300,000 youngsters are unhappy with their lives, compared to around 173,000 ten years ago, the Children Society’s annual review of young people’s wellbeing found.

Among the most prominent worries cited were the pressures to look good and unhappiness at school. One in 11 children were unhappy with their school lives a decade ago: that figure is now one in nine.

The charity also found that children who aren’t happy with their lives at 14 are much more likely than others to have symptoms of mental health conditions by the time they’re 17, including self-harm and suicide attempts.

Almost 7 per cent of 10 to 15-year-olds in the UK say they are unhappy with their lives overall, equivalent to 306,000 children.

The tenth Good Childhood Report also examined the effect of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns on young people.

An estimated quarter of a million 10 to 17-year-olds have struggled since the start of the pandemic, equivalent to about four per cent.

One young person explained: “I think in general just worrying like can I still see my friends? Am I going to be able to see my nan? Can I do all this stuff? And in the back of my mind there’s that constant worry, what if this happens, what if that happens? And things, kind of even if they are getting back to normal, they’re still not completely okay.”

The report also found that more boys are worried about their physical appearance. While dissatisfaction with their looks has risen from 15 to 16 per cent in girls, the jump was eight to 13 per cent in boys.

The Children’s Society has called on the government to measure children’s wellbeing as they do adults and tackle increasing unhappiness rates with an action plan that targets underlying causes.

Mark Russell, Chief Executive at The Children’s Society, said:  “It’s deeply distressing to see that children’s well-being is on a ten-year downward trend and on top of this a number of young people have not coped well with the pandemic.

“We cannot allow these worrying trends to get worse and, as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, it seems clearer than ever that we need a bold and ambitious vision for childhood in England. At every level, all work with children and young people should have the explicit aim of improving their well-being.

“From Cabinet-level leadership and close monitoring of children’s well-being by national government to really get to grips with how young people are feeling, right down to local early support services for mental health and social care in every community. It’s time to act now to protect children’s futures. They are worth the investment.”