Study gives voice to children's experience of Covid-19, but will we heed their concerns?
The legacy of pandemic stills hangs heavy over prospects but it doesn't mean they are doomed to be left behind, provided policymakers listen and act
LIFE will never return to normal for children and young people living in poverty following the disruptions of Covid-19, says a recent report.
The Voices report, put together by a team from Newcastle University and the charity Children North East, claims to provide the most comprehensive account of how children's lives were affected by the pandemic.
It covers their relationships, education, work, plans for the futures, as well as their health and wellbeing.
The Voices team spoke to 1,780 children, aged five to 18, from across the North East region. Most of them come from some of England's most deprived areas. They described their experiences in both words and drawings.
Children said they missed their friends; a common theme. They also worried about family and missed everyday experiences such as going to the shops. One child said: “I cried worrying if people I loved were going to die.”
Inevitably, the experiences of the pandemic left their mark.
“Young people have been seriously and deeply impacted on by the pandemic. All aspects of their lives have been affected. There is no return to how things were before – but there is lots that people can do,” said Liz Todd, professor of educational inclusion at Newcastle University.
Todd is joint project lead along with the charity's head of youth services and poverty proofing, Luke Bramhall. The latter said the pandemic had a “profound impact” on children and young people across the UK.
“Through this report, we are able to better understand and respond to the lasting needs of that generation, from support with mental health to dealing with missed education milestones,” he added. “Our hope is that the voices shared in its pages will be heard and those working with children and young people can take action to support them.”
Many of the youngsters found remote learning a struggle. This was either down to a lack of technology at home, or just trying to learn in a home full of people. Sometimes, however, schools did not send children enough work.
As one child lamented: “I hate online school.”
Things didn't necessarily get any easier once schools returned, the report found; although the children certainly appreciated seeing their friends, being in contact with teachers, and in the return of some structure to the school day.
However, ongoing Covid-19 restrictions could make school difficult. The report found there was a lot of anxiety about exams and going to university, too.
“When we went out to play, no-one wanted to play,” said one pupil. “We weren’t able to touch and all we could do was sit on a bench.”
What doubtless should come as no surprise, the study found that health and wellbeing were also “profoundly affected”; a lot of the youngsters were far less physically active than before and this impacted their mental health too.
As one child noted: “bored realy bord realy realy realy bord (sic) and I am just sitting in the house all day.”
Another said: “Doesn’t feel like a life.”
The ugly realities of inequality also took their toll, having a big impact on young people's experience the pandemic. Some of the families whose circumstances had changed because of Covid-19 reported they were eating less and walking more.
Some of the children didn't have access the digital services and they suffered from a lack of space in their home. Many expressed gratitude for services provided by community centres, schools, and youth organisations that arranged activities and resources for disadvantaged families.
Digital devices – where they were available – proved a “valuable tool”, helping young people to stay in touch with their friends through games and social media. However, not every experience was positive.
“It affected me – I got addicted – (it’s) now become part of my life,” said a child.
Another said: “I spend 18+ hours a day online.”
What's more, the study found that adults didn’t understand how important digital activities are to children nowadays.
“Adults don’t understand how much we rely on it [wi-fi/internet],” said one child. “They don’t understand why we need it so much, but we do.”
While many youngsters were saddened at not being able to participate in their favourite activities, others learned new skills such as knitting, cooking and decorating.
From their findings, the researchers have called for measures including free access to digital devices and broadband for children and young people. They also want to see “fair access” to public transport, further research into the long-term impact of Covid-19 on children and young people, and a digital curriculum for schools and colleagues.
Policy makers and people in positions of power need to heed the study's findings, and take their own time to listen – and make changes – says Todd.
“Many people don’t have the time we had to really listen to so many young people from such a wide age range and across a whole region of England in this way. But they do have time to act. Our recommendations all need to be achieved and they can be achieved in full by those running services and those making policy,” she added.
“When people read our report they are surprised about how much children notice and how much they think about everything that’s going on in the world. They’re also surprised by how much children care about their friends, families, their communities and the world around them. This is why our report matters.”
Bramhall called for more empathy around the long-term impacts of Covid-19. “We hope this report will encourage action for those across the UK to empathise with the lasting impact the pandemic had on young people across the UK,” he said, “and act to help them to overcome it.”
MC