Poll reveals kids’ fears and worries during lockdown

CHILDREN and young people in Scotland have been more worried and fearful during Covid-19, a survey has found.

The Children’s Parliament national wellbeing survey asked more than 3000 children aged eight to 14 about their experience in April and again in May. It found their concerns had increased as lockdown intensified.

A third of eight to 11-year-olds agreed they had lots to worry about. That went up to 42 per cent among 12 to 14-year-olds, increasing to 44 per cent by May.

Girls worried more than boys, with 37 per cent expressing concerns about their lives compared to 32 per cent of boys.

On a more positive note, more than nine in 10 said they had someone in their family to talk to when they have a worry.

In both surveys, a quarter of children said they worried about their health during the coronavirus pandemic.

When children across all ages were asked whether doing schoolwork is something they worry about, there was a six per cent rise in anxiety between April and May, from 35 per cent to 41 per cent.

To gauge children’s mental health, the survey asked if they felt “generally cheerful and in a good mood”.

In April, 65 per cent of all the children agreed they did feel upbeat, but in May it was down to 61 per cent. Among 12 to 14-year-olds that dropped from 56 per cent to 52 per cent.

Half of eight to 11-year-olds reported often feeling bored, while that rose to 60 per cent of 12 to 14-year-olds by May.

A coalition of organisations in Scotland, including Unicef, the Scottish Youth Parliament and Together (The Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights), is calling for children’s voices and concerns to be listened to during the crisis.

It is part of an ongoing campaign for Scotland to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law.

The Scottish Government has vowed to introduce the legislation before the end of the parliamentary term but time is running out.

Lucinda Rivers, head of Unicef UK in Scotland, said: “Our hope is that by the end of this parliamentary term, the impact and protections afforded by the UNCRC are felt by children all over Scotland as we ease out of lockdown and look to the future.”