“We don’t have much money and can barely afford to buy food,” 16-year-old Anna* reported to a Childline counsellor. “One of the reasons I’m looking forward to going back to school is because there isn’t the uncertainty of when or if I’ll get to eat.”
And Anna isn’t alone. Statistics show that one-third of all children in the UK are living in poverty and charities such as the NSPCC’s Childline are receiving calls from youngsters fearful about the future. Paige Livingstone, a Childline counsellor for three years, says she often speaks to young people whose families cannot afford food and are relying on food banks and youth clubs.
Here we look at five ways the cost of living crisis is affecting young people:
Loneliness
Socialising is a key part of a child’s social development, but the cost of living crisis can leave some youngsters feeling unable to connect with their peers, choosing instead to isolate themselves. Adeniyi Alade, a Childline service head, explains: “If a young person feels inadequate because their parents can’t afford certain things, it will affect the way they choose to socialise with other young people – who they may feel have access to everything.
“It might have an impact on their self-esteem as well and they may become withdrawn. And you might see some of them begin to have feelings of loneliness – I’ve seen some young people come to talk to us about feeling lonely because they don’t feel anyone understands them and what’s going on for them.”
Crime
Louise*, 14, recently told Childline: “I’m going back to school soon but my family doesn’t have any money to buy simple supplies, like uniforms and stationery. I’m worried things will get to the point where we have to steal to survive.”
This may sound excessive, but the pressure on youngsters to provide, when their parents cannot, has been mentioned in calls received by Childline counsellors.
Alade reflects on what can happen when children don’t speak up about what they need. “Older teenagers may begin to get into activities they shouldn’t get into – getting in with the wrong crowd and crime,” although he adds that this is in “extreme” cases.
Mental health
“It is very hard for young people to work on their own mental wellbeing if they are in an insecure home environment. I believe I have seen the cost of living crisis exacerbate pre-existing struggles because it has made young people’s home environments more precarious,” says Livingstone. Sadly, childhood mental illness can have a detrimental impact on their overall development. “Some may begin to develop body image issues because they feel they don’t dress or look like others,” adds Alade.
School life
As mentioned by Anna, school should be seen as a safe space for learning and the opportunity for a regular meal. But extra school trips and activities that need paying for can cause stress for young people not wanting to put added pressure on their parents.
Here, Alade praises the school system for trying to make sure children don’t feel “less than”, by normalising things such as breakfast clubs and opening them up to everyone. He adds that this helps young people to focus on the things within their control. “Going into school when you need to, paying attention in class, and doing your best – those are things that are within their capacity.”
Survival mode
“I worry about children who are in a developmentally sensitive period who are learning that life is about surviving rather than living or thriving,” says Livingstone.
Quality of life can be an issue as money usually spent on activities and life experiences has to be diverted to pay for the essentials. Alade adds that for young people, there are certain expectations of what they should be able to do. “But it’s about also reaching out and looking beyond what would have been the norm.”
* Quotes are based on real Childline service users but are not necessarily direct quotes. All names and potentially identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the child or young person involved.
Help support young people struggling with the impact of the cost of living crisis by donating to NSPCC today