Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles: Archives
Tag Archives for: "Children & Young People"
You are here: Home / Archives for Children & Young People

Why do teachers need to think about student experiences of loneliness?

By , and Filed Under: Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Globally, many governments have set an objective to reduce loneliness, including among adolescents. So far, however, the focus has been on individuals, and is most often out of school time. In this article, Professor Pamela Qualter, Dr Rebecca Jefferson, and Dr Lily Verity discuss their work in the UK, and internationally, and argue whole school […]

children in school library

Starting a new chapter – childhood literacy education

author headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

In 2022, the government announced a commitment to improve literacy education as part of its levelling up agenda. The ambition to eradicate issues by 2030 has seen a tight focus on literacy skills and mandated curriculums – which neglect to acknowledge the local and individualised contexts in which teachers teach. A lack of resources, funding […]

Long in the tooth: is water fluoridation out of date?

By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

One ongoing intervention to tackle tooth decay in parts of the UK is the provision of fluoride in drinking water. But such moves aren’t always popular with the communities involved.  There is also a lack of evidence based on contemporary populations. Here, Dr Michaela Goodwin and Professor Michael Kelly outline the findings of a new […]

Child of the North: Child mental wellbeing

By , , , and Filed Under: Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Children’s mental health and wellbeing was deteriorating prior to COVID-19, but there was significant decline during the pandemic, particularly in the North of England. This blog post covers the collaboration between Professor Pamela Qualter, Professor Matt Sutton, Stephanie Gillibrand, Professor Neil Humphrey and Dr Ola Demkowicz in their study of children’s mental health, originally published […]

Child of the North: The economic impacts of child health

By and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Levelling up, UK economy Posted:

The economic performance of the North of England consistently lags behind the national average. One factor that could partly explain this ‘productivity gap’ is the poorer physical and mental health of children in the North, along with a widening educational gap, with long-lasting impacts on the labour market. In this blog, Dr Rose Atkins and […]

Group of teens in school chatting

LGBT+ inequalities in adolescent wellbeing

By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

Improving wellbeing in every area of the UK is the overarching ambition of the Levelling Up White Paper, and government has said it will undertake further work to supplement existing wellbeing data at a subnational level. In Greater Manchester, a community-led, hyper-local project is underway to understand and improve children and young people’s wellbeing, and […]

Too close to the sun: The health benefits and economic case for banning sunbeds

By , and Filed Under: Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

Melanoma skin cancers are the UK’s fifth most common cancer, causing over 2,000 deaths each year. Over 85% of cases are preventable, with excessive exposure to ultraviolet light the most common cause, including the ultraviolet light used in sunbeds. The cancer risk from sunbeds is well known, but a new study has outlined the stark […]

VR headset in purple lighting

Online safety: Child abuse and exploitation in eXtended Reality

Picture of Steve Pettifer By and Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Digital Futures Posted:

In 2020 a team led by Professor Emma Barrett and Professor Steve Pettifer was commissioned by GCHQ to examine how child exploitation and abuse may evolve in light of the latest emerging technology trend: the widespread adoption of immersive ‘eXtended Reality’ (XR) technologies, including Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Their report synthesises research on online […]

Making light work: Recommendations for healthy lighting

By and Filed Under: Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:

Light exposure has important effects on human health and wellbeing, regulating our sleep/wake cycles, and influencing our mental and physical health. Advances in our understanding of the role of light in health, and emerging lighting technologies, now present opportunities to adjust lighting to promote optimal physical and mental health and performance. In this blog, Professor […]

An elderly woman sits on a bench near a large pond, on her own.

What we need to know next about loneliness

By Filed Under: Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care, Urban Posted:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the UK’s mental health, particularly loneliness. Data from spring 2021 found a million more adults were feeling lonely “often” or “always” compared to spring 2020. Now, a recent evidence review for DCMS, led by Professor Pamela Qualter, has set out what we know – and don’t […]

Become a contributor

Would you like to write for us on a public policy issue? Get in touch with a member of the team, ask for our editorial guidelines, or access our online training toolkit (UoM login required).

Disclaimer

Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

Policy@Manchester

Manchester Policy Articles is an initiative from Policy@Manchester. Visit our web site to find out more

Contact Us

policy@manchester.ac.uk
t: +44 (0) 161 275 3038
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK