Latest news with #ChildrenandYoungPeople
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Zealand Ranked 32nd Out Of 36 Countries For Child Wellbeing Is Unacceptable
Press Release – Mana Mokopuna The report card shows New Zealand has the highest suicide rate for children out of the worlds wealthy countries, at a rate of almost three times higher than the average. A new international report card comparing childhood experiences in wealthy countries shows the need for urgent progress in Aotearoa New Zealand, says Chief Children's Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad. Published today, the latest UNICEF Innocenti 'Report Card 19: Fragile Gains – Child Wellbeing at Risk in an Unpredictable World' ranks New Zealand in 32nd place out of 36 countries for overall child wellbeing. It ranks New Zealand last – in 36th place of the world's wealthy countries – for child and youth mental health. The report card shows New Zealand has the highest suicide rate for children out of the world's wealthy countries, at a rate of almost three times higher than the average*. It also shows again that New Zealand's children face a major problem when it comes to bullying, with the second highest rate of children experiencing bullying, out of the countries included. Dr Achmad says these rankings, published just a week before Budget Day, show that meaningful investment in children and young people is urgently needed to support child and youth mental health, including suicide prevention measures, and to better support the prevention of bullying in schools and communities. 'I've been clear that we need to see a central focus on children in Budget 2025,' she says. 'This is necessary to deliver on the Government's own Child and Youth Strategy to 'make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child.' 'It's devastating that among other high-income countries, we reported the highest youth suicide rate. We also know that attempted suicide rates for rangatahi Māori, Rainbow children and young people and disabled children are higher. 'This is absolutely unacceptable and we need to focus on making our country one where all children and young people are included, safe and where their diversity is respected and valued. I call on the Minister for Mental Health, and all ministers, to pay close attention to these findings and progress implementation of recommendations that already exist under reports such as the cross-party 'Under One Umbrella' and the Auditor-General's 'Meeting the mental health needs of young New Zealanders' reports. 'I'm also calling on the Government to collect and publish good-quality, disaggregated and timely data relating to child mortality. 'Significantly reducing childhood poverty must be a core investment area for the Government, given the ripple effects it has on children's lives. The data in the Government's own recent Annual Report on Children and Young People's wellbeing shows that we are going backwards when it comes to providing enough safe housing, healthy food and primary health and dental care. 'I want to see all children in our country flourish to their full potential. As this international comparison shows, we can and must do much, much better for children. These are their basic rights that we are talking about, and as a small, relatively rich country, it shouldn't be like this.' 'The solutions to the problems highlighted in this report card have already been identified by children and young people themselves, and are well documented in our mokopuna voices reports such as such as 'A place to talk peacefully' and 'You need to get in early, as soon as you see people struggling'. 'These solutions must now be actioned because children only get one chance at childhood, and right now for too many in New Zealand, it's far from the best in the world.' * UNICEF Innocenti used the most recent reliable data from each country, with 3-year averages to smooth fluctuations. The most recent reliable suicide data from New Zealand was from 2020. Therefore, the New Zealand youth suicide data in the report card relates to 2018 – 2020. The Ministry of Health has stated that unpublished data on suspected suicides indicates that rates are falling. However, New Zealand's youth suicide rate is still a notable outlier among the group of countries in this report card, which is consistent with other sources like the New Zealand Youth Health Survey.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Call for more exercise for children to tackle rising levels of depression
Playing football, rugby or netball as a child could help ward off mental health problems in adolescence, a new study suggests. But time playing sports appears to taper off during children's school years, researchers found. The new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined data on more than 16,000 children in Sweden. Our Children and Young People (CYP) Services team have been busy getting out and about to move more for their mental health this #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. Did you know that regular exercise can boost your mood? Find your #MomentsForMovement — Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (@LPFTNHS) May 15, 2024 They were tracked from birth to the age of 18, with information gathered about their physical activity levels, time spent outdoors and time spend participating in organised sports. Researchers also gathered information on whether or not the children were diagnosed with any psychiatric disorders. During the study period, 15% of the youngsters were diagnosed with mental illness, including anxiety, depression, sleep problems and eating disorders. And levels of exercise appeared to decline as children age – from an average of 4.2 hours a day among children the age of five to 2.5 hours a day for those aged 11 years. Parents were also asked whether their child took part in an organised sport, such as football, dancing or horse riding, outside of school hours. Academics found that exercise, particularly organised sports, appeared to carry a protective effect against mental illnesses during teenage years. Those who were physically active at the age of 11 were found to be 12% less likely to be diagnosed with any psychiatric condition until they were 18 years old. When split between genders, they found that physical activity at age 11 was associated with a reduced risk of depression among girls. And boys who were physically active at age 11 were less likely to suffer depression, anxiety or addiction during their teenage years. In boys, the protective effect appeared to begin early – the risk of depression was 19% lower among physically active boys aged five and 23% lower among eight year old boys, but not among girls. Participation in organised sports showed significant protective effects on anxiety and addiction for both boys and girls, and on depression for boys, the research team added. But no link was found between time spent outdoors and the risk of mental ill health. 'Physical activity at 11 years of age had a protective effect on the incidence of any psychiatric disease for boys, and on depression among girls,' the authors from Sweden wrote. 'Participation in organised sports showed strong protective effects for both girls and boys on multiple outcomes. 'Given the dramatic increase in the global prevalence of psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents, this study highlights the importance of promoting physical activity, particularly through organised sports.' They added: 'Physical activity could be used as a strategy for the prevention of mental health problems, especially before, and during, adolescence, and should spark increased interest among policymakers and motivate healthcare professionals to incorporate PA in treatment programmes.'
The Herald Scotland
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Letters: SNP has taken 18 long years to steer Scotland to success
John Swinney has been at the heart of the Scottish Government since 2007 and was Nicola Sturgeon's number two for some considerable time. He has held such government positions as Finance Secretary, Secretary for Education and Skills, Secretary for COVID Recovery and now First Minister. He ends his statement saying 'Centred on delivery, providing hope, it is a programme that seeks what is best for Scotland, a Programme for Government that gets our nation on track for success'. On track for success? This surely begs the question what on earth have this hapless SNP administration being doing for the last 18 years – and clearly demonstrates they have achieved no success in any domestic policy area at all. Richard Allison, Edinburgh. Read more: No need to drink on our trains I note that, with the usual fanfare, the First Minister has announced that peak rail fares are to be scrapped from September. Bearing in mind that the Scottish Government only recently saw fit to end the peak fare deal, it is hard not to see the latest move as electioneering. Any joy at this change of heart, however, must surely be tempered by the news that, at the same time, the alcohol ban is to be lifted. Why is it necessary for alcohol to be consumed onScotRail trains when it is widely available at all departure points? Alcohol consumption on public transport leads, at best, to low-level anti-social behaviour and noise, to the detriment of the greater number of travellers who are happy to refrain. Surely a missed opportunity? David Edgar, Symington, Biggar. A Promise that must be fulfilled Outlined in the Scottish Government's Programme for Government is the Children and Young People (Care) Bill. This legislation aims to further support The Promise, produced by the Independent Care Review in 2020, and which is Scotland's pledge to care-experienced children and young people that they will grow up loved, safe, and respected. As a coalition, along with others, we have been advocating for care-experienced individuals, who often face complex situations alone, to have the right to lifelong, independent advocacy. This will ensure that care-experienced individuals are aware of their rights and can make informed decisions about their lives. With the Promise Bill now part of the legislative landscape, it is time for this fundamental right, as committed to in The Promise itself five years ago, to be enshrined in law. Too many individuals are currently missing out on the advice and support they desperately need, often when they need it most. Scotland has an opportunity to lead the way, and the Bill provides the opportunity to deliver action on advocacy. The Scottish Children's Services Coalition, Edinburgh: Kenny Graham, Falkland House School; Lynn Bell, LOVE Learning; Stephen McGhee, Spark of Genius; Niall Kelly, Young Foundations. This pledge will surely be broken John Swinney has made a remarkable promise to tackle the 8am doctors' appointment chaos by promising 100,000 more appointments to be made available to ease the logjam. I would ask, if he can do this, why did he not do it 10 years ago? The simple answer is that this is just another election promise that won't be kept by the SNP, to add to the many broken promises made by them but never achieved. Many doctors have already condemned this promise as completely unachievable as the resources are simply not there. Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen. SNP addicted to headlines Smoke and mirrors. John Swinney promises 100,000 new GP appointments. Scotland's population is in excess of five million, therefore, in context, this is not a big number. Reducing rail fares also just means a bigger bill for the taxpayer if ScotRail fails to make a again, the SNP love the headlines but don't like the details and it is the details that matter. Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow. Life in England's cultural shadow I can't agree with Neil Mackay's assessment of Scottish values in the context of a United Kingdom ('Trump and Farage prove there is such a thing as Scottish values', May 5). Scotland does not have a good track record of wealth generation and financial competence, going all the way back to 1707 and the Darien scheme entered in to with England. This was effectively a bail-out and the price was independence. Following that humiliation, we have become used to living in the cultural shadow of England having our history, language and culture measured against an English standard. Our historical progress since 1707 has just been a matter of following England's example. Scottish culture has been crudely stereotyped, portrayed as quaint and romantic, a pastiche of kilts, clans and bagpipes and somehow suspended in a distant past which no longer relevant. The result has been a legacy of resentment and why many of us believe that greater control over our own politics would foster a more confident and self-assured culture. The Scottish elite effectively capitulated to the English in the 1707 Act of Union and this one 'choice' has evolved into a pattern of behaviour to become a kind of habituated self-subjugation. This, like self-censorship, is a chosen pre-emptive suppression done to avoid something worse. Political Stockholm syndrome? When institutionalised to a sufficiently general habit it becomes 'instinctive' and appears as natural or normal – in our case, the canny, circumspect people that the Scots are when they are not being uncouth English-hating savages (depending on your point of view). This is the single ideological focus of the independence seekers, with no agreed plans for life after freedom whether it be currency, EU membership, borders or any of the other continuously unanswered questions. At the end of the day, after 318 years it would be nigh-on impossible – not to say catastrophic – to attempt to untangle our relationships with England at a practical level merely to recover our self-esteem and atone for the sins of our fathers. Accepting the constitutional situation as it is there is ample scope to prosper within the UK. A starting or reset point might be to exchange the current and tiresome blame-and-confrontation approach for one of co-operation and mutual respect. Some of my best friends are English! Keith Swinley, Ayr. Seceding from a Farage-led UK It is being predicted that Nigel Farage could take power in Westminster - and this, ironically, on the anniversary of VE Day. Independence for Scotland has never been more important and if the UK elects a right-wing populist regime we cannot afford to wait for permission from the UK to vote for independence. Our government must declare our independence in the event of a Farage government in the UK. David Currie, Tarland Fast-changing landscape The survey showing how far Reform UK has come in recent years '(Poll: Reform UK could be main opposition to SNP in Holyrood', May 7) is a warning to every mainstream politician. I dislike all that Nigel Farage stands for but reluctantly concede that he is more relatable than other party leaders. It is not difficult to see why many disaffected voters warm to him. The political landscape changes so quickly and we can only hope that the main parties can by next May have re-appraised their public appeal and keep Farage out. D Matthews, Glasgow.
The Herald Scotland
28-04-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Find all articles in our Scotland's Forgotten Children series here
Currently, 22% of children live in relative poverty, where the household income is less than 60% of the UK average. Another 17% of children live in absolute poverty, where current income is less than 60% of the UK median in 2010. There are also 9% of children considered to live in material deprivation – households without basic goods and services. That is why this week, The Herald is spending three days investigating the severity of child poverty across the country. Follow along with the series here. Day One Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has revealed the scale of extreme poverty facing children in Scotland. "While writing this has been confronting, I am also extremely lucky to have this platform. I know that many people living in poverty do not get the chance to share what their lives are really like", writes Rebecca McCurdy. Nicola Killean, the Children and Young People's Commissioner, has warned that the UK and Scottish Governments must ramp up action to eradicate child poverty. A record number of emergency food parcels are issued to children despite the Scottish Government's pledge to end the need for food banks.
The Herald Scotland
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
It's time for action to eradicate child poverty in Scotland
As Commissioner, I must listen extensively to children and young people from across the country. They tell me loud and clear that reducing poverty should be a priority. They describe how they are affected, the impact it has on their families, and seeing the impact on their friends. They can be direct, with one child sharing simply: 'My family can barely afford food and rent.' One young person told me they wanted food banks to hand out goods that didn't need to be cooked because putting the hob or oven on was too expensive. Another said their friend had to wear all their jumpers and jackets inside because they couldn't afford to put the heating on. This is the reality some children in Scotland are facing. The Herald's series investigates child poverty (Image: Damian Shields) The First Minister has committed to eradicating child poverty as his government's number one priority. The Scottish and UK governments both have duties, and different levers they can use, to tackle poverty. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was incorporated into Scots law last year, and it says governments must use all available resources to enable children to access all their rights. Increasing the Scottish Child Payment is one clear action the Scottish Government should take. In practice, this means increased financial support to families who need it. Families tell us that the money they have does not go far enough – we need social security to be increased, and for the UK Government to end the two-child benefit cap. Read more: Food bank support for children in Scotland 'worse than ever' 80,000 children currently live in 'very deep poverty' Rebecca McCurdy: I grew up in poverty - this is why I'm writing about it No child should be hungry, cold, or living in inadequate housing. Every child should have a safe, secure, and affordable home. There is an urgent need for more social housing. Children are experts in their own lives, and they have a right to be heard and for their views to be considered. When it comes to poverty, children need to be meaningfully involved in national and local child poverty action plans. Community organisations, youth workers, opportunities for sport and leisure are under increasing threat – we need investment and early intervention measures to support children and their families. Addressing child poverty must move from a vision to a reality. Politicians can and should make the necessary decisions to finally eradicate it. Nicola Killean is the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland
