Crispin Williams writes about a social problem facing our children.
“It is a major problem of our times. And apparently getting worse. Social services cannot cope, waiting lists for assessments are impossibly long”
There are probably statistics to prove it but anecdotal evidence is rife enough to believe that a vastly increased number of children experience some sort of mental health issue than in the past. Be it ADHD, autism, anything else on the ‘spectrum’ or just undiagnosed bad or unconventional behaviour. My own son had major issues (eventually diagnosed as ADHD and autism) when he was younger and I was absolutely amazed by the number of people I spoke to who had a child, grandchild or other relative – or the child of a close friend or neighbour – who had these type of issues.
It is a major problem of our times. And apparently getting worse. Social services cannot cope, waiting lists for assessments are impossibly long, help and interventions are so thinly spread as to be useless and those children who do get assessed are swamping schools with ever-increasing numbers of EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans).
“Surely, a major study is called for”
But why? What research has been done? Probably bits and pieces into possible causes but has anyone looked at every single possibility? Surely, a major study is called for.
Below, and definitely in no particular order, I suggest a list of factors that might be responsible or partly responsible. I would like to see them all investigated, whatever the cost. Understanding the root of the problem would be a necessary start to addressing it.
“Children are easily overwhelmed by too much information and nowadays they are swamped with stories of world affairs, politics and other goings-on”
Parenting: including lack of parental interaction due to parents being busy at work, etc. and the effects of single-parent families.
Lack of discipline: at home and at school.
Diet: there are so many additives in our food these days.
Social media: I don’t need to explain.
Overload of information: a child expert recently said to me that it should be a parent’s job to keep a child’s world small. Children are easily overwhelmed by too much information and nowadays they are swamped with stories of world affairs, politics and other goings-on of no direct relevance to them.
Radio waves: maybe a conspiracy-type theory but the air never used to be crammed full of mobile phone signals.
The reader may well be able to add to this list but the point is made. For the sake of all of us, we need to get to the bottom of the matter.
Main image created using Grok.