800,000 children mentally unwell
MORE than 800,000 children are suffering from mental health problems, the first official estimate of the nation’s vulnerable minors reveals.
The report by the Children’s Commissioner for England also found that 580,000 young people were receiving interventions from the state due to a range of causes from endemic parental unemployment to alcohol abuse.
Around 46,000 young people aged from 10 to 18 are members of street gangs, while 1,200 children are newly identified as victims of modern slavery every year. Officials at the arm’s-length statutory body last night said the “shocking” statistics were most likely a significant underestimate of the true scale of childhood vulnerability.
They said they hoped that by compiling data relating to childhood ill health, abuse, neglect and criminality in one place for the first time, they would prompt a joined-up government approach to protecting disadvantaged children.
They found that almost 670,000 children were living in families that had vulnerabilities, including more than 15,499 living with an adult receiving alcohol treatment and nearly 11,624 living with an adult in drug treatment.
“It is shocking that half a million children need direct intervention or care from the state because they are living vulnerable lives,” said Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner.
“On top of that there are many hundreds of thousands of other children growing up in potentially high-risk situations. Yet even more shocking is that this is only the tip of the iceberg. The actual numbers are likely to be much higher.”
The launch of the report is the first stage in a programme of work on children’s vulnerability. It will start by tackling the confusion over what “vulnerability” means, and the commissioner will now consult on the definitions and develop a framework.
The Children’s Commissioner’s report argues that the Government should improve its data collection, and questions how effectively the problems outlined in the report can be tackled if departments and agencies do not know how many children are affected or cannot agree on how to define and therefore identify them.
“We can trace in minute detail the academic progress of a child from four to 18 and beyond, but when it comes to describing and assessing the scale of negative factors in a child’s life which will hamper their progress, we are floundering”, she said.
Robert Goodwill, minister for children and families, said: “Every single child should have their voice heard and receive the care and support that they need to realise their potential.
“Across government, we are taking action to address this issue – whether through reforming children’s social care, prioritising mental health, or better protecting victims of domestic violence and abuse.”