Unhappy children provoke poverty warning

”Money matters” and child poverty is a “national scandal” said the Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, welcoming a report into the well-being of children that reveals half a million feel unhappy.

The Good Childhood Report 2012, published this month by the charity The Children’s Society, presents a “true picture” of children’s well-being and calls for a radical shift in how we view childhood. The premise might sound a little fluffy, along with the revelation that some 500,000 children are unhappy with their lives – after all, who isn’t at some point? – but the report places this in a societal context rooted in the children’s experiences and social environment.

“The moral test for any society is how it treats its most vulnerable, including its children,” said the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, who launched the report. “The fact that at any one time half a million children who are unhappy with their lives should be a wake-up call to us all. Policy makers and public alike will find clear information in this report about what causes our children to be unhappy with their lives. With such understanding comes the opportunity to make changes using six priorities that The Children’s Society has identified to make sure that every child has a good childhood.”

Children who have low levels of happiness are much less likely to enjoy being at home with their family, feel safe when with their friends, like the way they look and feel positive about their future, the report says. Children unhappy in this way are also more likely to be victimised, have eating disorders or be depressed.

The report draws upon interviews with more than 30,000 children aged eight to 16 in an effort to identify the “keys” to children’s happiness, some of which have clear implications for the housing arena. These keys, detailed in a companion report published the same day – Promoting positive well-being for children – include: the right conditions to learn and develop; a positive view of themselves and a respect for their identity; enough of the items and experiences that matter to them; positive relationships with family and friends; a safe and suitable home environment and local area; and opportunities to take part in positive activities that help them thrive.

In the wake of the report, Sir Robin Wales, Newham’s Mayor, warned of a “dangerous government move to redefine poverty”.

“The happiness of our children matters and the report highlights the ways in which well-being is closely related to income and material goods,” he said. “It seems obvious, yet as the legally-binding target to end child poverty by 2020 edges closer and the goal moves further away – there is a dangerous Government move to redefine poverty away from income and to focus instead on well-being and happiness. Such a change would cause lasting damage in Newham.

“Of course there’s more to life than money – but as [The Children’s Society] report shows, so much of what really matters for happiness depends on having it. If you can’t feed your family, heat your home or pay your rent it’s a recipe for unhappiness and reinforcing disadvantage. Money matters. Forcing down the value of out of work benefits will put an additional strain on family relationships and make it harder to pay for the basics. Thirty seven per cent of children in Newham grow up in workless households; including child benefit in the Universal Credit cap will make it even harder for their parents to afford books or clothes that fit.”

Key findings in the Good Childhood Report include:

•Choice and family have the biggest impact on children's happiness
•It is not the structure, but the relationships within a family that children care about. Loving relationships between a child and their family are ten times more powerful than family structure in increasing well-being
•Stability is important. Children who experience a change in family members they are living with are twice as likely to experience low well-being. Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of children who have moved home more than once over the past 12 months have low levels of well-being
•Low well-being increases dramatically with age – doubling from the age of 10 (7 per cent) to the age of 15 (14 per cent)
•Children as young as eight are aware of the financial issues their families face. Children in families who have experienced a reduction in income are more likely to have low well-being
•Children who do not have clothes to 'fit in' with peers are more than three times as likely to be unhappy with their appearance. Around a third say they often worry about the way they look. Unhappiness with appearance increases with age and is greater among girls
•Children who had been bullied more than three times over the last three months were significantly more likely to experience low well-being (36 per cent) than those that had never been bullied (6 per cent)
•Children like to be similar to their friends. Children who have a lot less, or even a lot more pocket money than their friends, have lower levels of well-being

“Our research has exposed that how children feel really matters,” said Elaine Hindal, the charity’s campaign for childhood director. “We are calling for a radical new approach to childhood, placing their well-being at the heart of everything we do.

“We know that, right now, half a million children are unhappy. We have discovered the key reasons for this unhappiness and what we can do to make it better. We want our country to be the best place for our children to grow up. Yet unless we act now we risk becoming one of the worst and creating a lost future generation.

“The charity has created a new, comprehensive way of measuring children’s well-being. We urge government and other decision-makers to use the six priorities we have pinpointed. This is a real opportunity to make a huge difference to their lives.”

In Newham, the council has already taken up the challenge, according to the Mayor, having launched a new approach that recognises the “connections between relationships, income and personal well-being” in overcoming disadvantage and living well.

“We call it building resilience,” Sir Robin said. “Everything we do is geared towards supporting people to develop the economic resources, personal skills and relationships that The Children’s Society report makes clear are so important.

“Child poverty is a national scandal. But as a local authority we can make a difference. We are putting money in families’ pockets and helping children access the things that make them happier – the two come hand in hand. We are one of only two English local authorities who offer universal free school meals to primary school children. That is the equivalent of £500 extra income per child before tax.

“In an area where three quarters of households earn at or below the median income that money has lifted large numbers of children out of poverty. Guaranteeing children get a good meal helps them concentrate in lessons and creates a more productive learning environment. Our children get free swims, the biggest range of sporting activities in the country, free lessons to learn to play a musical instrument and the instrument too. These make a real difference to the quality of life for our families.

“Happiness is important – The Children’s Society are right to draw attention to that, but we mustn’t let the Government use that as a way to suggest that income poverty and the cuts they are inflicting do not matter.”