2020 News: Coronavirus

23/07/2021: Youth violence likely to explode over summer, UK experts fear

Experts and charities have raised the alarm about rising youth violence in the UK and say it could erupt over the summer, aggravated by Covid lockdowns, mental health problems and months out of . . . education. Overstretched youth services lack the funding and resources needed to tackle the problem and are bracing themselves for a surge in violence similar to that seen when lockdown was lifted last year, according to Kayleigh Wainwright, the director of collective action at the national charity UK Youth.
Guardian

22/07/2021: Eating disorders: The terrible impact of the pandemic on the young

The number of young people with eating disorders in England ending up in hospital has risen during the pandemic, a BBC investigation has found. Data obtained from NHS Digital showed the number of . . . under-20s admitted over the past year topped 3,200 – nearly 50% higher than in 2019-20. The numbers are so high that hospitals are now warning they are running out of beds to care for these patients.
BBC

21/07/2021: Almost a quarter of England’s pupils out of school

Almost a quarter (23.3%) of pupils in England were out of school last week, the latest official attendance figures show. This means there were 1.7 million pupils absent, up from 1.5 million the week . . . before. The latest figures include over a million off for Covid-related reasons, but only 47,000 actually had Covid.
BBC