An increasing numbers of children are seeking help for anxiety, with concern around world affairs such as the EU referendum and Syria conflict.
That is according to the NSPCC’s Childline service, which handled 11,706 counselling sessions for anxiety over the past year, a 35% increase on 2014-15. In the last six months it dealt with 6,500 contacts where anxiety was cited the main issue and research showed a growing number of children and young people were concerned about world affairs.
It’s thought that the rise is down to a combination of personal and political issues, while the charity said others felt it was also partly due to disturbing events seen in the media and on social media.
Childline’s president, Esther Rantzen, said: “Seeing pictures of crying and bewildered toddlers being pulled from bomb-damaged homes upsets all of us. Often we fail to notice the impact these stories are having on young people.”
Peter Wanless, the chief executive of the NSPCC, said: “The world can be a worrying place but we need to ensure our children are reassured rather than left overwhelmed and frightened.
Has your child or student expressed concern about global issues? What do they worry about? Do you limit their access to the internet as a result? How do you respond to their worries? We want to hear from parents and teachers on this topic.
