Children’s wellbeing ‘disproportionately disadvantaged’ by pandemic, research finds

New research by UWE Bristol has revealed that children’s wellbeing has been “disproportionately disadvantaged” by the pandemic.

Voices in the Pandemic (VIP-CLEAR) gathered and critically evaluated the worldviews, perceptions and experiences of children aged six to 11-years-old, through a series of creative activities.

The team of multi-disciplinary academics worked with almost 700 children in four primary schools within socially disadvantaged areas across Bristol over an 18-month period.

Children were asked to map their world between March and June of 2021, and again at different points of restrictions being eased.

The maps were then analysed and discussed with a broad spectrum of groups, including school partners, representatives from the national charity Action for Children, Bristol City Council’s Families in Focus, and an educational psychologist.

The result clearly indicated the impact of Covid-19 on the wellbeing of children, which overlaid with pre-existing everyday challenges.

“Although children are less likely to be at risk from the virus health-wise, they have been impacted by efforts to manage the pandemic,” says professor McEwan from UWE Bristol.

Homeschool learning has had an ‘invisible’ impact on children’s wellbeing post-pandemic – photo: UWE Bristol and VIP Clear

“National lockdowns and isolation periods, home learning, and social distancing measures have meant changes to contact with their family, friends, teachers, key support networks and special places.”

As well as these direct impacts, McEwan says there are also the wider impacts of being exposed to potential economic, social, and emotional shocks of the pandemic.

The research concluded that although young people have had a very wide range of experiences, those encountering pre-existing challenges are likely to have suffered differently and been disproportionately disadvantaged by the pandemic.

Experts are now urging the Government to take measures to improve social inequality and wellbeing in childhood, through three areas: ‘school level’, ‘community/neighbourhood level’, and ‘all scales’.

Recommendations include connecting children with animals, more home learning support beyond hardware, the integration of more green spaces into urban planning, and making it easier and cheaper for children to access facilities for exercise, leisure and pay outside lockdowns and in recovery.

To provide support to teachers, researchers have developed a free children’s book entitled ‘Learning to Live with Fog Monsters’ for seven to 11-year-olds. The book highlights the impacts of invisible threats and its mitigation through the eyes of two 10-year-olds.

“Changes need to be made to capture children’s voices and build their agency and resilience,” says McEwan.

“It is essential to build support out from a focus on individual children, their families, school, community and neighbourhood to national child-centred policies for recovery and renewal.”

Main photo: UWE Bristol

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