Introduction
Young people’s welfare and the availability of youth programs are essential components of UK government policy. Recent studies indicate that the United Kingdom continues to have worse child well-being than other Western nations (Bywaters et al., 2020). The current fall in the well-being of young people in the UK results from several developments in the social environment of children and young people’s lives, as well as the inherent variances and divergences in minors.
For instance, youth work has suffered due to these shifts, where young people now confront more significant obstacles than ever (Children and Young People Now 2019). Young people, children, and their families have been profoundly impacted by issues including escalating economic inequality, gender stereotypes, injustices based on race, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Various approaches to working with adolescents and children may be used to support young people. It requires taking into account what they can and are unable to do, the reason why, and how successful they are in making more significant numbers of young individuals’ lives better, more secure, healthier, and more equitable. Support is essential for the well-being of children, young people, and their families due to higher chances of for development because it is challenging to be young in the UK at this moment.
Ongoing Change
To create efficient programs for children, families, and young people both currently and in the short-term future, it can be helpful to consider social transformation and the reasons behind it. Economic, social, cultural, and political development significantly impacts young lives and the family’s well-being. Nowadays, many people believe that being young is a stressful time in one’s life due to the psychological challenges the individual must overcome (Alldred et al., 2018).
Young people and children try to find their place in the community and develop their potential, while their parents have concerns about their assimilation into established value systems and the journey to maturity (Alldred et al., 2018). These events make the period of childhood and adolescence especially difficult for minors who have to change actively. At the same time, their parents and families must assist them in the changes to ensure positive results. As a result, there has always been a social and governmental structure to support youth in different kinds of work (Alldred et al., 2018). In the contemporary context, educational programs and early professional orientation are among the initiatives that allow adults to instruct young individuals and assist them in their life choices.
Overall, youth work is a type of informal learning that supports the currently established structures and deals with problems specific to young people. Youth work has historically been offered to develop Christian ideals and high moral standards in young people (Cooper, 2018). It has lately evolved, though, as these initiatives increasingly emphasize a variety of subjects, such as sexual orientation, in schools (Cooper, 2018). Even though it is not directly connected with the professional development of the minor, it relates to the formation of the personality of the child and the adolescent (Cooper, 2018). The focus on children’s and young people’s rights and the necessity of preparing adolescents to be responsible members of society has increased due to this transformation in the youth work model.
Political shifts have historically impacted interaction with minors in the UK. For example, the conservative administration reduced youth work initiatives in 2017 due to budgetary constraints. A specific directive stated that only people with complex special needs could get youth work services (Cooper, 2018). Given the growth in mental health issues among young children and teenagers in the UK in the past few decades, this was a divisive move.
In the UK, vulnerable people are more likely to lack specific informal instruction that has been demonstrated to help prepare young people to be responsible for society (Cooper, 2018). This situation is due to the continued policy of decreasing public support for youth work (Cooper, 2018). Therefore, UK youth must have access to youth work programs and inclusive health care to safeguard their well-being.
The rising economic hardships and the cost of living have significantly impacted youth developmental programs in the UK. These problems are typical, particularly in cities like Manchester, London, and Liverpool (Portia, 2018). For example, a recent study revealed that most young people in London think the community is reseeding and that it fails to provide them with enough possibilities for personal development because of rising living expenses and poverty (Portia, 2018).
The likelihood of effective youth work programs is seriously threatened by the alarming rate at which the gap separating the rich and the poor is widening in highly populated cities like London. The most significant discrepancies were discovered in young people between 19 and 20, significantly impacting their well-being (Portia, 2018). Notably, poverty and excessive living expenses are believed to be a barrier to interpersonal education, psychological wellness, and emotional health (Portia, 2018). It states that the ongoing changes in the political, social, cultural, and economic contexts impact how adults communicate with children and young people.
Divergence and Difference
Due to economic and social disparities, certain children are born with advantages over others. As a result, different economic and social variables significantly affect children’s general well-being. Adolescents are more likely to experience psychological disorders and an overall absence of life pleasure when they understand that they belong to the unprivileged group than adults and children. Children typically have no opportunities to respond to the inequalities they have from birth and improve their life conditions (The Open University 2022).
In both cases, children and teenagers rely on their families, particularly their parents and caregivers, who should provide them with opportunities for personal development. There are no real opportunities for positive change in the situation with vulnerable and unprivileged social groups, including refugees, single-parent families, or families with parents with special needs (The Open University 2022). It allows stating that minors are trapped by the social and economic status of their families.
In particular, the wealth disparity between the wealthy and those economically disadvantaged is growing in the UK at the level of families. It explains why the UK’s divide between the North and the South has drawn more attention recently. The data indicate that children from the northern region of England are more inclined to be obese than their peers in other parts of England. Compared to the rest of England’s 20.5% of 11-year-old children, 22.6% of young people in the North were obese (Bywaters et al., 2020).
Additionally, compared to 20% across the rest of England, children in northern regions are 27% more likely to live in poverty (Bywaters et al., 2020). This statistical information shows the inability of poorer families to provide for their children adequately, which has an adverse impact on minors’ health. At the same time, there is no direct correlation between obesity and family income, and the focus is more on the eating habits of the child (Goisis et al., 2019). It shows that scholars have opposing views on the same issues related to youth problems.
Families with comparatively low income have no opportunity to satisfy the basic needs of their children. For instance, compared to 19% of the overall population of England, they had a 58% probability of residing in a municipality with a more significant than average percentage of families with low incomes. There is a case to be made that kids in Northern England typically exhibit lower levels of wellness than their peers in Southern England (Bywaters et al., 2020). The disparity in the economic development of the areas in the United Kingdom affects various categories of human life.
Racial prejudice is among the most critical social challenges impacting children and teenagers in the twenty-first century. These age groups are susceptible to the opinion of other people because they try to find their individuality and typically form their perception of their personality based on the attitude of others (Longfield, 2020). This pattern is consistent with severe problems with self-esteem, and children and teenagers are at risk (Zilanawala et al., 2019).
My personal experience supports these claims because I have seen racial inequality in the opportunities and life changes between my peers. It was especially right for children not born in the UK, and English was not their native language. They experienced many issues with keeping up with the curriculum due to their racial difference and the prejudice many educators had that working with them would not give positive results.
Racial minority groups have recently been at the forefront of discussions on equality and equity in Western nations, including the UK. According to the report, black young people in the UK have been disproportionately affected by racial disparities. Over 50% of black children in Britain currently live in poverty, putting them at risk for poor health and limited educational opportunities (Longfield, 2020).
Despite the UK economy expanding significantly generally throughout that period, it is remarkable that the proportion of disadvantaged black children in the country has more than doubled in the ten years preceding the present. In particular, the percentage of black children raised in precarious financial environments rose from 42% in 2011 to 53% in 2020 (Longfield, 2020). It is a sign of a society wherein institutional discrimination has become ingrained and persists without significant efforts to address it.
The two primary political parties must work together to address systemic racism, which has caused numerous children to grow up in poverty and inadequate access to education and medical care. Another category that has recently seen unequal prospects in the UK is children with disabilities. The UK government revealed in a depressing study in 2020 that most disabled young people are finally being excluded from schools because of their disabilities (Children’s Commissioner 2020). There is no need to say that this situation is unacceptable in a developed country that is supposed to guarantee equal access to education opportunities for all children and teenagers regardless of their health state.
As a result, disparities in the educational system in the United Kingdom are harming children with SEND, which is the abbreviation for special educational needs and disabilities. In the UK, roughly 1.3 million children with special needs study in schools and colleges without assistance. These children have a severe chance of being excluded from the regular curriculum (Children’s Commissioner 2020). It is important to remember that the situation was still very much on the political agenda of the UK before the COVID-19 pandemic, even though numerous individuals have stated that the pandemic was a significant factor in the present emergency facing SEND education in the UK (Children’s Commissioner 2020). It demonstrates that the issues affecting kids with SEND have been exacerbated recently.
One of the main reasons young people in the UK do not have good mental health is discrimination based on gender. Educators, caregivers, and the community significantly impact forming presumptions about the capacities of men and women, which leads to this cultural trend (Alldred et al., 2018). Individual prejudices serve as the foundation for prejudice and discrimination and impose restrictions on the daily activities of young individuals.
Children subjected to gender stereotyping are forced to make decisions based on the need to meet strict expectations. For instance, the number of crimes committed by adolescent males has risen relative to young females due to an increase in the exclusion percentage of males (Alldred et al., 2018). Therefore, concepts such as segregation and discrimination based on the factors associated with minorities lead to adverse consequences, including anti-social behavior.
Recent Events
The general well-being of young people and children in Britain has been steadily declining, as was already indicated, due to events that have happened in the past few years. One significant occurrence that has had a considerable impact on children’s and young people’s lives and well-being, not only across the UK but also in other nations throughout the world, is the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the UK minors’ health indicators deteriorated when the epidemic exposed children to several hazards (Bayrakdar, Guveli, 2020). A lockdown for all people in the country enforced on the entire UK during the global outbreak significantly impacted how young people communicated with one another (Bayrakdar & Guveli, 2020). The pandemic’s detrimental impacts on young people’s well-being continue in the UK even after they have subsided in most areas of the country.
Interestingly, despite having the lowest probability of developing a severe COVID-19 infection, children have disproportionately suffered from the UK’s attempts to manage the pandemic. There has been a rise in psychological disorders among children and adolescents due to school closures and restrictions on how families and children can connect (Bayrakdar & Guveli, 2020). Youth work programs were drastically reduced back during the pandemic’s peak, which prevented many young individuals in the UK from having the chance to engage with one another.
It is crucial to remember that the COVID-19 epidemic has had a more significant negative impact on the health of adolescents in impoverished areas and those with SEND. Adolescents from less fortunate homes interacted less with instructors and other students during the COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures than those from wealthier homes (Child Poverty Action Group 2020). Students attending private schools were more inclined than public school students to participate in daily online classes and additional educational programs during the early stages of the lockdown (Child Poverty Action Group 2020). Additionally, 37% of public schools in wealthy neighborhoods and 60% of private schools in the UK offered distance learning initiatives, as opposed to 23% of municipal schools in underprivileged areas (Child Poverty Action Group 2020). This information illustrates the disparity in British society enhanced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The social and economic background of the family is essential in evaluating the well-being of the child and the young person. Children from disadvantaged areas spent most of their time at home and became separated from their peers, which contributed to a rise in issues with mental health in this demographic. It additionally highlights the fundamental issue of inequality, which prevents children from impoverished households from attaining comparable levels of success as children from affluent backgrounds (Resolution Foundation 2021). The current problem of poor well-being conditions in vulnerable children is anticipated to increase unless extreme actions are taken to prevent such things from occurring, with the disparity between the rich and the poor predicted to widen in the upcoming years (Resolution Foundation 2021). In contrast to children from affluent backgrounds, vulnerable young people in the UK experienced difficulty reintegrating into the community.
England’s child protective services commission identified in a report released in September 2020 that children with vulnerabilities experienced increased anxiety due to missing school throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. The discovery highlighted the detrimental effects of the pandemic on young people in the UK, with 41% of kids worried about upcoming tests and academics (Resolution Foundation 2021). This information emphasizes the danger posed by excluding kids with specific needs and those from underprivileged families.
The gender issue has also sparked a considerable discussion about how school closings affect male and female students. Girls were more stressed and worried about their educational standing during the COVID-19-imposed shutdowns of schools, according to the UK’s Children’s Ombudsman (Children’s Commissioner 2020). Therefore, paying additional attention to these concerns is vital while working with children and young people in the school environment.
The UK government has made enormous investments in the past few years to enable students with special educational needs to succeed at the same levels as children with typical development. Nevertheless, the government’s plans to enhance SEND education were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) illustrate a program that has negatively impacted the COVID-19 limits (Children’s Commissioner 2020). This program is intended to enable children with special educational needs and disabilities to access comprehensive schooling and improved youth work opportunities.
When the pandemic started, the UK authorities permitted kids with EHCPs to continue attending school as long as it was safe. Nevertheless, just 6% of students with EHCPs went to school from March 2020 to May 2020, which only slightly rose to 28% in July 2020. It implies that 72% of young people with EHCPs failed to go to school during the lockdown period (Children’s Commissioner 2020). In other words, the pandemic triggered inequality between children with special needs and their peers without health issues.
One of the most contentious decisions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the well-being of millions of minors in the UK, was the weakening of the rights of children with EHCPs. Children with SEND can only learn well and be safe in class with the help of EHCPs. As stated in their EHCPs, SEND children often have an absolute right to special educational support (such as individual assistance from Teaching Assistants) and medical care (speech and language therapy) (Resolution Foundation 2021). Still, the UK controversially passed the Coronavirus Act in May 2020, which, among other things, mandated that regional health departments and municipalities only use adequate resources to provide the services outlined in the EHCPs (Resolution Foundation 2021). As a result, some EHCP-adopted kids received less assistance than they might have in more typical situations.
Positive Outcomes
In the UK, youth programs and initiatives aim to establish a setting where older children and young adults can participate in unofficial educational activities. Youth work can take many forms, including school-based, detached, center-based, and interaction-based, depending on the student’s religious affiliation. It involves planned or organically occurring organized social, recreational, or educational initiatives.
Various approaches to working with young people exist in the UK, significantly influencing how UK individuals view the significance of this communication. For instance, according to the Northern Ireland Youth Work Act, “youth work” is an organized educational initiative created to promote young people’s personal and social growth through voluntary involvement (Resolution Foundation 2021). These initiatives include opportunities for adults, children, and teenagers in their official academic education or professional training.
Some people have opposed this view, claiming youth organizations should aim for true youth empowerment and independence. Young individuals are molded by social connections, including those they make independently and those that are essential, including those with family and at school. These connections support the development of social capital and assist young people in their subsequent lives. In the most basic and straightforward community, the family, social capital is represented as an aptitude that results from the prevalence of confidence within society (Faucher, 2018). Since social capital is typically interpersonal, it should be defined by its collectiveness characteristics.
Social contacts occur in the modern world using various mechanisms, including social networking sites and other online platforms. According to some studies, rising levels of digitization have made it possible for young people to engage in more youth work initiatives. The social capital associated with using technology has drawbacks that outweigh the related gains (Tulin et al., 2018).
For example, they contend that the rise in cyberbullying and criminal activity in recent years is primarily attributable to the growing popularity of digital media. Children’s experiences with intergenerational connections within the community are defined by trust, friendliness, and mutual assistance. These characteristics support typical inclusive human relationships (Tulin et al., 2018). Intergenerational interactions enable the development of community-strengthening initiatives for families and their children in youth work.
The formation of adult activities for assisting children and delivering services is usually emphasized. As a consequence, the lives of children in their communities receive minimal consideration. Children feeling isolated from society is correlated with an absence of healthy intergenerational interactions, leading to detrimental effects on children’s well-being (Faucher, 2018).
Participating in social work in non-family settings can help young people expand their networks and gain fresh perspectives. Nevertheless, those opposed to more intergenerational connections in youth work contend that the hazards and ambiguities associated with letting kids interact with individuals outside their homes and schools exceed the seeming advantages. For example, in the modern world, educators and parents must exert considerable influence over who young people encounter and the information available. This is because the risks of young people being drawn into terrorism and illicit drug activities have increased.
When examining the many forms of work done with young people, the concept of social mobility also proves beneficial. Exploring the ideas of upward social mobility, job opportunities for youth, and young poverty makes it evident that it is difficult to analyze these ideas in a two-dimensional way (Faucher, 2018). The fact is that youth work lays the groundwork for young people to interact with their adult lives effectively.
In particular, games that encourage cooperation help young people integrate into maturity while being aware of the value of collaboration in adult contexts like the workplace. Young people’s labor eliminates the obstacles that could otherwise appear, facilitating prospects for upward mobility in society (Faucher 2018). It is crucial to end the poverty cycle for current and future generations. Youth work is a successful strategy for addressing poverty and gaining social status in the short and long term.
The critical detail is the cooperation between parents, caregivers, and educators if they want to improve the well-being of children and teenagers. Typically, children become alienated from their parents when they become adolescents, and caregivers must provide adequate support during this period (Alldred et al., 2018). This interaction between school and family is essential in challenging work, and it might give better results than teachers’ attempts without parental assistance (Alldred et al., 2018). In all cases, adults should pay special attention to the problems young people and children experience during the difficult period of their lives. As the facts mentioned earlier show, psychological concerns influence minors during this time, as well as social, economic, and cultural factors.
Conclusion
It is controversial whether the present day is a good time for being a young person in the UK. The general well-being of minors in the UK has been significantly impacted by continuing shifts in society and politics, according to the evidence. First, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically influenced the educational system and other fields where children are active. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed partially to the heightened tension and anxiety that vulnerable populations, including notably children and adolescents with special educational requirements and disabilities, members of racial and ethnic minorities, and those who come from underprivileged homes, have been experiencing in the past few years.
However, there were worries about young people’s general well-being in England before the worldwide epidemic. As a result, youth work has recently become a hot topic in the UK. While it seems evident that youth work should facilitate a seamless transition from adolescence to adulthood, some factors are at stake.
In particular, in the past few years, the focus of youth work has expanded dramatically to encompass intergenerational connections outside of the family and academic contexts. Due to this, social capital and upward mobility among youth workers have increased. It is essential to recognize that the range of youth work has expanded due to the increased usage of online resources and social media platforms.
Critics respond that by expanding the area of youth work, hazards have grown for young people, remarkably increasing exposure to unlawful activities like drug trafficking. In general, the state of affairs in the UK today presents severe obstacles to the well-being of adolescents and young people and their households, such as a rise in psychological problems, an increasing wealth divide, and gender disparities, all of which are having a detrimental effect on the accomplishments of youth empowerment initiatives.
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