What is the experience of young people with special educational needs (SEN) who attend school in England? Researchers drew on findings from a 2021-2022 Office for National Statistics study to answer this question. Participants included 62 young people aged 11-16, each of whom had either a SEN diagnosis, or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). They were educated at mainstream schools, pupil referral units, special schools, or elective home education. To understand the provision they…
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Using data from 108 young people in the UK, researchers at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, have investigated the link between cognitive control and risk-taking behaviours. To test cognitive control, researchers tested respondents’ memory, as well as self-control and how flexible their thinking was. All data was collected through an online survey with 12–18-year-olds, with parents providing consent and demographic information for those under 16 years old. The survey collected demographic information, with young people…
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Researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, have conducted quantitative research and analysis into the links between mental health, wellbeing, and social exclusion. The research focused on 15-19 year olds, a period of adolescence that can leave young people vulnerable to experiencing both negative mental health and instances of social exclusion. Interviewing 18,800 Australian young people through the ‘Mission Australia 2022 Youth Survey’, the research sought to understand mental health and exclusion amongst 15-19 year…
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Research from UBE (University of the West of England, Bristol, UK), suggests that pupils who report they are having a hard time academically are more likely to have encountered negative experiences from their smartphones. The research included 3,721 pupils from 6 secondary schools, 1,595 parents and 352 secondary school teachers from schools in inner city, suburban and rural settings in and around Bristol. Looking at the pupil data, the research found pupils describing themselves as…
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Research from the University of Exeter Born in Bradford research programme finds that 1 in 3 children in England do not play outdoors after school. The study, which tracks the health, development and wellbeing of children and parents, interviewed 2,500 parents with children aged 7 – 12. Researchers found that when children did play outdoors there was a positive impact on their social and emotional skills such as being able to understand and regulate their own…
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The UK government has announced that the voting age in the UK will be lowered from 18 to 16 in time for the next general election. The government has said that this would make the system fairer for 16- and 17-year-olds who already work, or are members of the armed forces, but currently do not have a say on how their taxes are spent. The minimum voting age is currently 16 for local council elections…
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2026 will officially be known as the National Year of Reading. The idea comes from the Department for Education (DfE) and is part of a wider campaign supported by the National Literacy Trust. The overall goal is to encourage reading among new audiences, and to change the national culture around reading, especially for children and young people. Key findings from the 2025 Annual Literacy Survey finds only 1 in 3 children and young people aged…
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A study from Public Health Wales (PHW) and Cardiff University, Wales, suggests that girls are twice as likely to have issues with social media compared to boys, with 17.1% of girls, and 9.7% of boys experiencing problems. 130,000 young people aged 11-16 in Wales took part in the 2023 survey that focused on their social media use. This was a particular problem for girls in Year 9 (13-14 year olds) and Year 10 (14-15 year…
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On Monday (28 April), experts in the fields of psychology, public health, research and psychopathology gathered in Parliament to discuss the impact verbal abuse can have on children. They were brought together by Sharon Hodgson MP, and Jessica Bondy, founder of the charity Words Matter, which is currently urging government to prioritise childhood verbal abuse prevention. This type of abuse – which includes blaming, insulting, criticising, and threatening children – can cause long-term issues such as depression…
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Researchers from University College London have studied how the presence of greenspace in local neighbourhoods impacts the mental health and cognitive development of children. Data from the 6,946 children aged 3-11 in the Millennium Cohort Study was used, tracking the way in which emotional, behavioural, and cognitive changes are impacted by local greenspace as the children age. The findings suggest that young children benefit in terms of their behaviour and cognitive development, but these advantages…
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