vulnerable children

Child wellbeing and child poverty: where the UK stands in the European table

Child wellbeing and child poverty:where the UK stands in the European table, is a briefing paper of research by a York University team for the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) published in April 2009. This league table of young people's wellbeing places the United Kingdom 24th out of 29 countries measured across seven areas: health, education, housing, material resources, relationships, risk, and how young people feel about their lives. The data was mostly drawn from 2006 and does not reflect changes as a result of government programmes since that time.

Hidden harm: responding to the needs of children of problem drug users

This is a report of an inquiry by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in June 2003. It examines how problem drug users with parental responsibilities harm their children's health and well being. It is estimated that there are more than 250,000 children affected in the United Kingdom. The inquiry considers what is presently being done and what could be done in the future to reduce the number of children in this situation.

Domestic abuse

What is domestic abuse. Domestic violence can happen in any family and in all kinds of homes. In half of the cases of violence between adults, children get hurt too. Even when children do not see the violence happening, they often hear it. Children are often in the same or next room when the violence is going on. This can be extremely distressing and disturbing for them.

respectme website

respectme, Scotland's Anti-Bullying Service was launched in March 2007. This organisation works with all adults who have a role to play in the lives of children and young people to give them the practical skills and confidence to deal with bullying behaviour, where it occurs.

Parental drug and alcohol misuse: resilience and transition among young people

A growing number of children are affected by parental substance misuse, and policy and practice increasingly recognise the need to tackle the problems that this causes. Currently, the needs of older children are less well known or addressed. This study explores the experiences of 38 young people, aged 15–27 years, who had at least one parent with a drug or alcohol problem.

Uncle Bob and Me

This resource aims to illustrate the common themes and scenarios relating to sexual grooming behaviour aimed at vulnerable young people, exploring how problematic situations can develop. It also provides guidance on accessing help and promotes harm reduction strategies. The target audience for this is boys and young men involved in, or at risk of, grooming behaviour and sexual exploitation by older people.

Poverty of Ambition: why we need a new approach to tackling child poverty

In 1999, Tony Blair committed the Government to abolishing child poverty by 2020. In 2006, the Conservative opposition endorsed this aim, and in 2009 the Government introduced a Child Poverty Bill, which requires all future governments to meet four child poverty targets. This report claims that the way the Government is defining and measuring poverty is badly flawed, and that the new Bill has more to do with redistributing incomes and increasing welfare payments than with tackling the underlying causes of child poverty.