A new UK wide Censuswide online survey commissioned by BBC Children in Need of 2,500 parents and 2,500 children aged 10-14, reveals the scale of the challenge facing children today. Almost a quarter of children surveyed say they regularly keep their worries to themselves because they don’t know who to talk to or find it hard to explain how they feel.
A new UK wide Censuswide online survey commissioned by BBC Children in Need of 2,500 parents and 2,500 children aged 10-14, reveals the scale of the challenge facing children today.
Almost a quarter of children (24%) surveyed say they regularly keep their worries to themselves because they don’t know who to talk to or find it hard to explain how they feel, while one in five (21%) haven’t been shown how to talk about mental health in a way that feels safe or supportive.
These worries are taking a real toll, with over one in six (17%) children saying their worries regularly affect their sleep or ability to focus at school. More than a third (38%) say their worries have made life less enjoyable or caused them to stay silent due to fear or embarrassment, and nearly a quarter (24%) say they are only sometimes listened to when they speak out about how they’re feeling.
Parents share these concerns. One in five (20%) believe their child regularly keeps worries to themselves, while three quarters say they are worried about children relying on AI tools for mental health support.