Lockdown was a stressful time for many around the world, especially those with young children. To understand the effectiveness of leisure programmes during the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, researchers in Spain studied ‘gamification’ – a technique to engage people through play, motivation, and problem solving. 58 parents and 82 children (with a mean age of 8.35) were recruited, with a smaller sample of 32 parents used for semi-structured interviews. All participants had access for…
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While there appears to be both information and resources for mothers experiencing postnatal depression (PND), it is estimated that as many as 1 in 10 fathers also experience depression in the first year after the birth of their baby. Stigmas around mental health and the stereotypes surrounding pregnancy-related issues (especially in heterosexual couples) have led experts to believe that the number men suffering with depression one year after birth may well exceed 10%. Fathers may…
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The global launch of 5 Rights Child Online Safety Toolkit two weeks ago has received wide international acclaim on social media and in the press. The United Nations Secretary General’s Tech Envoy praised 5Rights and End Violence for the “ground-breaking” Toolkit. The Child Online Safety Toolkit website, with the Toolkit available to download in eight languages and as an interactive PDF is here, and an explainer video can be seen here.

Young people the world over have endured a number of recent events previously considered ‘once in a lifetime’ – This is coupled with the 2008 financial crises, affecting Millennials. Living through such experiences has made many from the Millennial and Gen Z cohort question what their future may hold, and if there will be a future for them at all. As recently reported by the New York Times, in the US are choosing to spend…
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Adults between the ages of 18 and 72 who use social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter daily found that a one week break from platforms saw improvements in their wellbeing. The study, published in May in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking was conducted by researchers at the University of Bath. Over 150 participants were recruited and subsequently split into an intervention or control group. At the beginning of the…
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A report from the Commission on Young Lives argues that there should no longer be permanent exclusions in primary schools by 2026. Chaired by Anne Longfield, the former Children’s Commissioner, the report states “Over recent years, we have seen the growth of an exclusions culture that perversely rewards removing some vulnerable children from the school roll”.  The Commission has said children falling through gaps in the education system is “putting them at risk not only…
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Having published their annual report at the end of March, the UK’s communication’s regulator Ofcom presented finding this week looking at how how young people are using social media. They highlight the use of fake accounts on Instagram (known as ‘Finstas’), which are often used by children and teens as a decoy for their parents. In fact, Ofcom found two-thirds of the 8-11 year olds they spoke to had multiple social media accounts online and…
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Research from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences has found that young children can learn key reading skills in virtual learning environments alongside other children their age. The study consisted of a reading programme that lasted two weeks in an online reading camp, with 83 5-year-old children taking part in the study, and a control group of 33 children who did not take part. The reading programmes took place over Zoom,…
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New funding for teachers from the Digital Poverty Alliance, Barclays Bank, Intel and the Learning Foundation has been announced to help tackle digital poverty. The campaign, Tech4Teachers, aims to provide 550 devices to teachers who do not have sufficient access to the internet, allowing teaching staff to give greater support to over 20,000 students across many disadvantaged communities. Alongside the devices, an online space will be made available for teachers who are a part of the…
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To mark this year’s 8th annual Children’s Mental Health Week, children’s counselling service charity, Place2Be, has joined forces with BAFTA Kids to produce two online assemblies for primary and secondary school audiences in the UK. Place2Be Ambassador Josh Smith speaks to various guests including Paralympic gold medallist Andy Lewis, actor Jacob Anderson and dancer Oti Mabuse, with a special message from Olivia Coleman in both assemblies. The theme ‘Growing Together’ was chosen to encourage children…
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