UK named the unhappiest country for children. What's behind Europe's decline in youth well-being?

英國被評為兒童最不幸福的國家。歐洲青少年幸福感下降的背后是什么？
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文章：

Europe, particularly the EU, is regarded as one of the most prosperous regions in the world. Yet, despite this prosperity, many young people within its borders are facing a growing decline in well-being, with increasing concerns about mental health.

歐洲，尤其是歐盟，被認(rèn)為是世界上最繁榮的地區(qū)之一。然而，盡管如此繁榮，該國境內(nèi)的許多年輕人卻面臨著幸福感日益下降的問題，人們對心理健康的擔(dān)憂日益增加。

Last month, the Children’s Society, a UK-based charity, released a report looking into the well-being of young people in the UK and how they compare to those in Europe.

上個(gè)月，總部位于英國的慈善機(jī)構(gòu)兒童協(xié)會發(fā)布了一份報(bào)告，調(diào)查了英國青少年的幸福狀況，并將其與歐洲青少年進(jìn)行了比較。
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The 2024 Good Childhood Report found that, on average, 16.6 per cent of European youth are dissatisfied with their lives, which is equivalent to about one in six across the continent.

《2024年美好童年報(bào)告》發(fā)現(xiàn)，平均而言，16.6%的歐洲青少年對自己的生活不滿意，這相當(dāng)于整個(gè)歐洲大陸的六分之一。

The Netherlands had the lowest rate, with only 6.7 per cent of 15-year-olds reporting not being satisfied with their lives.

荷蘭的比例最低，只有6.7%的15歲青少年對自己的生活不滿意。

Similarly, Nordic countries Finland and Denmark also ranked well, with only 10.8 per cent and 11.3 per cent reporting low life satisfaction respectively.

同樣，北歐國家芬蘭和丹麥的排名也不錯(cuò)，分別只有10.8%和11.3%的人表示生活滿意度較低。

On the other hand, the UK reported the highest level of low life satisfaction among young people, with 25.2 per cent indicating dissatisfaction, followed closely by Poland (24.4 per cent) and Malta (23.6 per cent).

另一方面，英國青少年對生活滿意度最低，有25.2%的人表示不滿意，緊隨其后的是波蘭（24.4%）和馬耳他（23.6%）。

"The findings from The Good Childhood Report 2024 are alarming and illustrate an unacceptable picture of children’s wellbeing in the UK. It clearly shows that young people in the UK are experiencing lower well-being and life satisfaction compared to their peers across Europe, and that the well-being of young people is also in decline," Jack O’Neill, policy and public affairs manager at The Children’s Society, told Euronews Health.

“《2024年美好童年報(bào)告》的調(diào)查結(jié)果令人擔(dān)憂，并說明了英國兒童健康狀況令人無法接受?！斑@清楚地表明，與歐洲同齡人相比，英國青少年的幸福感和生活滿意度較低，青少年的幸福感也在下降，”兒童協(xié)會的政策和公共事務(wù)經(jīng)理杰克·奧尼爾告訴歐洲新聞健康頻道。

The report used data from various sources to analyse youth life satisfaction, including the UK Longitudinal Household Survey, The Children’s Society’s annual survey, and the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

該報(bào)告使用了各種來源的數(shù)據(jù)來分析青少年的生活滿意度，包括英國縱向家庭調(diào)查、兒童協(xié)會的年度調(diào)查以及經(jīng)合組織國際學(xué)生評估項(xiàng)目。

Why are UK children the unhappiest in Europe?

為什么英國兒童是歐洲最不快樂的？

"When looking at specific measures, we can see that the UK performs notably worse than other European countries. Whilst not any single factor can explain the low ranking overall when particular areas score so poorly, it does suggest their importance in driving this," O’Neill said.

奧尼爾說：“從具體的衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來看，我們可以看到英國的表現(xiàn)明顯比其他歐洲國家差。雖然沒有任何單一因素可以解釋在某些地區(qū)得分如此之低的情況下，整體排名較低，但這確實(shí)表明了它們在推動排名方面的重要性。”

The UK also showed the largest gap in life satisfaction between advantaged and disadvantaged youth, which could point to the impact of socio-economic inequality on children's well-being.

此外，英國的富裕青少年和貧困青少年的生活滿意度差距最大，這可能表明社會經(jīng)濟(jì)不平等對兒童福祉的影響。

Additionally, the report revealed that the UK ranked fourth highest in food deprivation, with 11 per cent of 15-year-olds skipping meals due to a lack of money.

此外，報(bào)告還顯示，英國在食物匱乏方面排名第四，11%的15歲青少年因缺錢而不吃飯。
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"We also know that the cost-of-living crisis in the UK is impacting the opportunities for young people to have downtime or enjoy socialising with friends or family," O’Neill said.

奧尼爾說：“我們也知道，英國的生活成本危機(jī)正在影響青少年休息或享受與朋友或家人社交的機(jī)會?！?/b>

Many families in the UK reported difficulties in affording holidays, extracurricular activities for their children, and, in some cases, even celebrations and special occasions, with 41 per cent saying they couldn’t afford such events.

許多英國家庭表示，他們很難負(fù)擔(dān)得起孩子的假期和課外活動，在某些情況下，甚至是慶?；顒雍吞厥鈭龊希?1%的家庭表示他們負(fù)擔(dān)不起這些活動。

Additionally, 50 per cent of children reported that a lack of money prevented them from participating in activities like socialising or going on school trips.

此外，50%的兒童報(bào)告說，缺錢使他們無法參加社交或?qū)W校旅行等活動。

Beyond financial limitations, children also expressed significant worries about various life issues, particularly the rising cost of living in the UK.

除了經(jīng)濟(jì)上的限制，孩子們還表達(dá)了對各種生活問題的擔(dān)憂，尤其是英國不斷上漲的生活成本。

"Two in five children and young people surveyed were worried about rising prices, showing that concerns over making ends meet are filtering down to young people and increasing their worry and concern," O’Neill said.

奧尼爾說：“在接受調(diào)查的兒童和青少年中，有五分之二擔(dān)心物價(jià)上漲，這表明對收支平衡的擔(dān)憂正滲透到青少年身上，增加了他們的擔(dān)憂和焦慮?！?/b>

Along with rising prices, children were also concerned about crime, online safety, and environmental issues.

隨著物價(jià)上漲，孩子們也擔(dān)心犯罪、網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全和環(huán)境問題。
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Moreover, school-related issues have also played a significant role in the declining well-being of children in the UK. In 2024, 14.3 per cent of young people reported being unsatisfied with their school experience.

此外，與學(xué)校有關(guān)的問題也在英國兒童福祉的下降中扮演了重要角色。2024年，14.3%的年輕人表示對自己的學(xué)校經(jīng)歷不滿意。

Concerns around school safety, a sense of belonging, and bullying, of which the UK had the second-highest rate in Europe, are some of the key issues, according to O’Neill.

奧尼爾說，對學(xué)校安全、歸屬感和欺凌的擔(dān)憂是一些關(guān)鍵問題，英國的欺凌率在歐洲排名第二。

"We know from international comparison data, and from talking to children and young people, that bullying and the pressures of academic achievement play on children’s minds," he said.

他說：“我們從國際比較數(shù)據(jù)以及與兒童和青少年的交談中了解到，欺凌和學(xué)業(yè)成就的壓力影響著孩子們的思想?！?/b>
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"School should be an opportunity for young people to make lifelong memories, find their inspiration, make friends and have hope for the future, unfortunately this doesn’t seem to be the case for some children, and it is crucial we not only unlock every child’s potential but also unlock their happiness," O’Neill added.

奧尼爾補(bǔ)充說：“學(xué)校應(yīng)該是青少年留下終身記憶、尋找靈感、結(jié)交朋友、對未來抱有希望的機(jī)會，不幸的是，一些孩子似乎并不是這樣。我們不僅要釋放每個(gè)孩子的潛力，還要釋放他們的幸福，這一點(diǎn)至關(guān)重要。”

Amid the decline in mental health among young people in the UK, the country is also facing significant challenges in providing adequate mental health support.

隨著英國青少年心理健康狀況的下降，該國在提供充分的心理健康支持方面也面臨著重大挑戰(zhàn)。

According to the report, over 270,000 children are still waiting for further assistance after an initial referral, with long waiting times being a major issue.

根據(jù)該報(bào)告，27萬多名兒童在初步轉(zhuǎn)診后仍在等待進(jìn)一步援助，等待時(shí)間過長是一個(gè)主要問題。
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Reflecting on the concerns raised by young people during policy consultations, "they told us how school makes them worried as they are anxious about exams, worried about failing and not hopeful for the future," O’Neill noted.

奧尼爾指出，在政策咨詢期間，青少年提出了一些擔(dān)憂，“他們告訴我們，學(xué)校是如何讓他們擔(dān)心的，因?yàn)樗麄儗荚嚫械浇箲]，擔(dān)心不及格，對未來不抱希望?！?/b>

"They said how parks are being shut down meaning they have nowhere to hang out with their friends; how support for their mental health can only be sought when they have reached a crisis point and that their voices are silenced and they don’t feel heard".

“他們說公園被關(guān)閉了，這意味著他們沒有地方和朋友出去玩；只有當(dāng)他們達(dá)到危機(jī)點(diǎn)，他們的聲音被壓制，他們覺得自己沒有被傾聽時(shí)，才能尋求對他們心理健康的支持?！?/b>

Key causes of declining well-being in Europe

歐洲幸福感下降的主要原因

Although the report focuses on the UK, similar trends are being seen across Europe, with reports indicating a decline in well-being among young people in several countries.

盡管該報(bào)告關(guān)注的是英國，但歐洲各地也出現(xiàn)了類似的趨勢，有報(bào)告顯示，幾個(gè)國家的年輕人的幸福感有所下降。
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According to UNICEF, the percentage of 15-year-olds reporting high life satisfaction dropped from around 74 per cent in 2018 to 69 per cent in 2022, across 23 countries for which data is available.

根據(jù)聯(lián)合國兒童基金會的數(shù)據(jù)，在有數(shù)據(jù)可查的23個(gè)國家中，15歲青少年對生活滿意度高的比例從2018年的74%左右下降到2022年的69%。
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One of the key contributing factors include high rates of poverty, with approximately 20 million children in the EU, about one in four, at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to a report by UNICEF.

其中一個(gè)關(guān)鍵因素是高貧困率，根據(jù)聯(lián)合國兒童基金會的一份報(bào)告，歐盟約有2000萬兒童（約四分之一）面臨貧困或社會排斥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

"It [poverty] has a long term impact on children. It's not just a child living in poverty, and as soon as they grow up and get a job they will be out of it. It affects their bodies, their mind and their prospects as well for the future," Dr Ally Dunhill, director of policy, advocacy and communications at Eurochild, told Euronews Health.

“貧困對兒童有長期影響。這不僅僅是一個(gè)生活在貧困中的孩子，一旦他們長大并找到一份工作，他們就會擺脫貧困。它會影響他們的身體、思想和未來的前景，”歐洲兒童政策、倡導(dǎo)和溝通主任艾麗·登希爾博士告訴歐洲新聞健康頻道。

According to Dunhill, children growing up in poverty often struggle to afford basic necessities like food, clothing, school supplies, or sports equipment, which limits their participation in normal childhood activities and leads to social isolation.

根據(jù)登希爾的說法，在貧困中長大的孩子往往難以負(fù)擔(dān)食物、衣服、學(xué)習(xí)用品或運(yùn)動器材等基本必需品，這限制了他們參與正常的兒童活動，并導(dǎo)致社會孤立。

Poverty also takes a toll on mental health, with children living in poverty more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression.

貧困也會對心理健康造成影響，生活在貧困中的兒童更有可能經(jīng)歷壓力、焦慮和抑郁。

Moreover, poor nutrition is another critical issue tied to poverty, as families often have easier access to cheap, less nutritious food, which negatively impacts children's physical health both in the short and long-term.

此外，營養(yǎng)不良是與貧窮有關(guān)的另一個(gè)關(guān)鍵問題，因?yàn)榧彝ネ菀撰@得廉價(jià)、營養(yǎng)不足的食物，這對兒童的身體健康產(chǎn)生了短期和長期的負(fù)面影響。

Dunhill further noted that poverty deeply impacts children's ability to engage in school.

登希爾進(jìn)一步指出，貧困嚴(yán)重影響兒童的學(xué)習(xí)能力。

"Those children are really not engaging in education, some of them are not even going to school, or they are going to school but they are so tired, or they’re so cold, or they’re so hungry, they may not be able to sit and learn and listen and engage," she said.

她說：“這些孩子真的沒有接受教育，他們中的一些人甚至沒有去上學(xué)，或者他們?nèi)ド蠈W(xué)，但是他們很累，或者他們很冷，或者他們很餓，他們可能無法坐下來學(xué)習(xí)，傾聽和參與。”

This lack of educational engagement sets children back and reduces their chances of escaping poverty in the future, creating a cycle where children raised in poverty are more likely to remain poor as adults.

缺乏教育參與使兒童倒退，減少了他們未來擺脫貧困的機(jī)會，形成了一個(gè)循環(huán)，即在貧困中長大的兒童更有可能在成年后仍然貧困。

"The expectation is if we don't do something to lift and support these children out of poverty, then they will grow up and have children that will be living in poverty," Dunhill said.

登希爾說：“人們的期望是，如果我們不采取措施幫助這些兒童擺脫貧困，那么他們長大后的孩子就會生活在貧困中。”

Moreover, the rising costs of food, housing, and heating, along with job losses and health challenges, are also pushing even more families in Europe into poverty.

此外，食品、住房和取暖成本的上漲，以及失業(yè)和健康挑戰(zhàn)，也使更多的歐洲家庭陷入貧困。

Online safety and children's well-being

網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全與兒童福祉

According to Unicef, when it comes to online safety in Europe, children face various risks in digital spaces, including cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content, misinformation, and sexual exploitation, all of which can severely harm their well-being.

據(jù)聯(lián)合國兒童基金會稱，在歐洲，兒童在數(shù)字空間面臨各種風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，包括網(wǎng)絡(luò)欺凌、接觸不當(dāng)內(nèi)容、錯(cuò)誤信息和性剝削，所有這些都可能嚴(yán)重?fù)p害他們的福祉。
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Fabiola Bas Palomares, lead policy and advocacy officer at Eurochild, who specialises in online safety, told Euronews Health that while the effects of online usage are complex to measure, the negative impacts of digital media on children, such as addiction, isolation, and reduced social confidence, are undeniable.

法比奧拉·巴斯·帕洛馬雷斯是歐洲兒童組織的首席政策和倡導(dǎo)官員，專門研究網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全，他告訴歐洲新聞健康頻道，雖然網(wǎng)絡(luò)使用的影響很難衡量，但數(shù)字媒體對兒童的負(fù)面影響，比如成癮、孤立和降低社會信心，是不可否認(rèn)的。
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Although content moderation tools have made some progress in reducing harmful content, she said the focus should shift to how these platforms are designed.

盡管內(nèi)容審核工具在減少有害內(nèi)容方面取得了一些進(jìn)展，但她表示，重點(diǎn)應(yīng)該轉(zhuǎn)移到如何設(shè)計(jì)這些平臺上。

She further emphasised the need to prioritise children's online safety from the beginning by embedding it into the platform's design rather than trying to fix issues after harm is done.

她進(jìn)一步強(qiáng)調(diào)，需要從一開始就把兒童的網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全放在首位，將其嵌入到平臺的設(shè)計(jì)中，而不是在造成傷害后試圖解決問題。

However, she also acknowledged that even with these changes, issues like cyberbullying and sexual abuse will still require targeted regulations and specialised tools to effectively address them.

然而，她也承認(rèn)，即使有了這些變化，像網(wǎng)絡(luò)欺凌和性虐待這樣的問題仍然需要有針對性的法規(guī)和專門的工具來有效解決。

Role of government and policy-makers

政府和決策者的作用
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To address the growing concerns around children's well-being, O'Neill emphasised the need for government action.

為了解決人們對兒童福祉日益增長的擔(dān)憂，奧尼爾強(qiáng)調(diào)了政府采取行動的必要性。

Some key measures he advocates for include ensuring that young people have access to early intervention and preventative mental health support, making children's well-being a national priority, introducing a Child Poverty Act to guarantee that no family lacks basic necessities, and reforming school environments to reduce anxiety and bullying while enhancing meaningful learning experiences.

他倡導(dǎo)的一些關(guān)鍵措施包括確保年輕人能夠獲得早期干預(yù)和預(yù)防性心理健康支持，將兒童福祉作為國家優(yōu)先事項(xiàng)，引入《兒童貧困法》以確保沒有家庭缺乏基本必需品，改革學(xué)校環(huán)境以減少焦慮和欺凌，同時(shí)增強(qiáng)有意義的學(xué)習(xí)體驗(yàn)。

Dunhill said that while there are promising initiatives from EU policymakers, such as the European Child Guarantee, which aims to combat child poverty and social exclusion, many national action plans struggle with implementation.

登希爾說，雖然歐盟政策制定者提出了一些有希望的倡議，比如旨在消除兒童貧困和社會排斥的“歐洲兒童保障”，但許多國家的行動計(jì)劃難以實(shí)施。

A major issue is that many governments fail to engage with civil society organisations or children themselves when developing these plans, she said.

她說，一個(gè)主要問題在于，許多政府在制定這些計(jì)劃時(shí)沒有與民間社會組織或兒童本身進(jìn)行接觸。