Fear of crime blights teenagers’ happiness

Wednesday, 30 August 2017 07:00

A report carried out by a national charity claims the fear of crime is damaging the wellbeing of 183,000 teenagers in Yorkshire and the Humber region.

One in three teenage girls are fearful of being followed by a stranger and one in four boys are worried they’ll be assaulted, according to new research by The Children’s Society.

The charity states its 2017 Good Childhood Report has found that an estimated 86,000 older children in the region are contending with at least seven serious problems in their lives, significantly harming their happiness. Fear of crime has emerged as the most widespread of the issues for children aged 10-17, with almost 2 in 5 worried about falling victim to two or more crimes.

Rob Jackson, Yorkshire and the Humber Area Director at The Children’s Society said: “It is alarming to see that millions of teenagers are contending with a multitude of problems in their lives and suffering as a result.

“Teenagers are coming under pressure in all areas of their lives, whether it’s being afraid to walk down their street, worrying about money, or having a parent who’s seriously unwell and this is damaging their well-being. Sadly, we know many of these teenagers will only get help if they reach crisis point – such as running away from home, or abusing alcohol or drugs. With a £2 billion funding gap for children’s services looming, children are increasingly finding themselves with nowhere to turn, putting them at greater risk.”

The Children’s Society is calling for the government to urgently address the funding shortfall in children’s services – predicted to reach £2bn by 2020 – and for local government, police forces, schools and other local agencies to work together to improve the wellbeing of children in their area.

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