A recent survey has revealed children’s top fears about going back to school. Barnardo’s commissioned these results from YouGov and published them on the same day as revealing a new TV advert, aimed at highlighting the importance of mental health support services for children and young people.
Here are some of the main statistics taken from Barnardo’s article or alternatively, you could read the whole article here: “Survey reveals children’s top back to school anxieties”
YouGov’s ‘back to school’ survey canvased over 1,000 eight to fifteen-year-olds in England, Scotland and Wales.
- 40 per cent are worried that schoolwork will be too hard and they won’t be able to do it when they go back to school after the summer. This was a concern for half of 15 year olds as they approach their final year of GCSEs.
- 24 per cent are worried about changing schools, class or teachers, rising to 53 per cent of 11-year-olds as they move to secondary school.
- 19 per cent worry that someone they know might be bullied, or continue to be bullied and that they won’t have anyone to talk to. 53 per cent of 8 year olds said their friends had experienced someone hurting them, such as kicking or punching them.
- 70 per cent said this bullying had made their friends feel upset, 60 per cent sad and 40 per cent anxious.
In terms of bullying, the YouGov results also reveal that:
- Four out of five children (77 per cent) know a friend who has experienced a form of bullying.
- 31 per cent of 13 year olds said their friends had been sent rude messages online.
- 41 per cent of 15 year olds said someone had said a friend has experienced someone telling others fake things about them online.
- More than a third (35 per cent) said their friends had not wanted to go to school or college because of bullying, increasing to 44 per cent for 12 and 13-year-olds.
You’re not alone, get help
These statistics can seem daunting, making childhood seem scary. However, there is help available. Barnardo’s is a charity that can offer specialist support services designed to help children deal with fears and other challenges. Go to their website to find out more about how they could help you, or indeed how you could help them: www.barnardos.org.uk
Barnardo's
Barnardo's is a British charity founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children. In the late 20th century, it was implicated in the scandal involving British children sent abroad as child slaves. As of 2013, it raised and spent around £200 million each year running around 900 local services, aimed at helping these same groups. It is the UK's largest children's charity, in terms of charitable expenditure. Its headquarters are in Barkingside in the London Borough of Redbridge.
