What is the impact on young people from diverse backgrounds?
Looking at ethnically diverse places in inner London, Dr Gemma Knowles presented on the impact of the pandemic on different groups, looking at a range of factors including gender, ethnicity and household income. Young Black African and Caribbean people were more likely to be significantly concerned about their future and financial hardships. The same was also found for those on free school meals (an indicator of low social-economic background).
Additionally, girls were found more likely to worry about falling behind in school than boys. One should note, however, that whilst pre-existing inequalities persisted, they generally did not widen during the pandemic. When assessing family relations, it appeared that there were few noticeable changes. However, once the evidence was broken down into different categories, it became evident that data reflecting those who reported family relations to have greatly improved, was negated by those who reported a worsening of relationships.
How do we help victims of domestic abuse?
Laura E. Fischer and Jane Chevous presented on how the pandemic has affected children who are at risk of domestic abuse, and the difficulties for young people to reach out for help, many of whom do not associate themselves with the term ‘victim’.
The necessity for awareness and education, the need for safe places, trust, barriers to disclosure and help for young people to feel heard, were among the things discussed, each highlighting the necessity for a global conversation to take place in order to allow people to recognise and respond effectively to abuse.
How did lockdown impact the mental health of young people in inner city London?
A video shown by Dr Georgina Miguel Esponda captured the voices of young people, explaining how, at first, many appreciated the opportunity to spend time with family, describing the first lockdown as a ‘holiday’. As time passed, however, lockdown became more difficult, and the boredom and repetitiveness of our new environment affected each of us in different ways.
For some, this manifested itself in feelings of distress that were classed as ‘normal’, whilst others felt a loss of purpose due to the changes in their routine. Feelings of being drained, tired and stressed, compounded by continual academic pressure, were all too common, and – combined with the inability to socialise – the lockdown became progressively more difficult to manage.