Children In Care Fear Crime And Street Bullies

Gangs and bullies on the streets of towns and cities are the biggest fear of many vulnerable children, according to a survey of young people in care published today. The study, made public days after two teenagers died in separate stabbings in London, found that a fifth of children said gangs and bullying were the worst things about the area in which they lived.

The report, by the children’s rights director for England, also revealed that more than half the children who responded reported being bullied. A fifth of those said they were frequent victims.

The report’s author, Roger Morgan, said the study had not measured children’s experiences of gangs, but its findings showed they felt most vulnerable to crime and violence on urban streets. They wanted more policing and better street lighting, and were aware of a need to protect themselves by avoiding risky areas. On a list of children’s rights, they ranked their right to be safe when outside in a town as the worst kept of all.

Mr Morgan said he had been most struck by the level of concern over bullying, which he will now investigate in more detail in a further study. It was “disappointing”, he said, that increased awareness and efforts to tackle bullying did not seem to be calming children’s fears.

He said: “Some of these children have already lived traumatic lives before they went into care. Teachers, social workers, carers and others who have day to day contact with these young people should be watching for the signs of bullying and doing more to stop it happening.”

Of those children experiencing bullying, most were bullied by people the same age or slightly older than themselves.