It has been a common complaint from children and parents in the UK that there is nothing to do for children in their spare time. Since 2010, youth clubs and youth workers have been cut by 69%! That is more than 4,500 youth work jobs and 750 youth centres shut down!
Many people believe that with the closure of youth centres and community centres, it leaves children and young people with nothing to do which can push them to crime or violence and even into horrible situations, even as serious as death.
Children have nothing to do: why does it matter?
It may not sound like a bad thing, not having anything to do and especially for children, considering child exam stress levels this year, but in reality it is can be causing a lot more damage than it is helping children to relax.
Afterschool clubs and classes act as a great place for children and young people to meet others with similar interests, develop new interpersonal skills, learn new practical skills, have people with similar interests to talk to and learn from others. They also act a good place to ensure that children and young people don’t become involved with antisocial behaviour.
With the ever-increasing number of youth clubs closing, more and more children are missing out on vital life lessons in safe spaces that previous generations had access to.
The structure and activities offered at clubs are important for children and young people to make friends, find new activities they can pursue and spend time in a safe place that away from potential harm. Clubs and activities can also act as a community for children and young people to feel as if they belong somewhere with other likeminded individuals.
There has been a worrying link between the closure of youth clubs and the rise in knife crime and violence within children and young people in the UK. Research has found that police forces in England and Wales recorded a 68% increase in knife offences.
The four worst effected local authorities were the City of Wolverhampton (where youth services were cut by 91%), City of Westminster (cut by 91%), Cambridgeshire County Council (cut by 88%) and Wokingham Borough Council (81%).
Forces in these areas have also seen some of the highest knife crime rises since 2013 with an 87% increase for West Midlands Police, a 47% increase for the Metropolitan Police, a 95% increase for Cambridgeshire Police and a staggering 99% increase for Thames Valley Police.
The worry is that the more youth clubs and youth centres that close down, the more young people and children will become at risk of becoming involved in crime or gang culture through no choice of their own. With a rise of county-lines related crime and gangs around the country involving children, it is apparent that without the unseen intervention of youth clubs and of youth workers, there are more children becoming involved with dangerous crime.
With the ever-increasing number of youth clubs closing, more and more children are missing out on vital life lessons in safe spaces that previous generations had access to.
The structure and activities offered at clubs are important for children and young people to make friends, find new activities they can pursue and spend time in a safe place that away from potential harm. Clubs and activities can also act as a community for children and young people to feel as if they belong somewhere with other likeminded individuals.
There has been a worrying link between the closure of youth clubs and the rise in knife crime and violence within children and young people in the UK. Research has found that police forces in England and Wales recorded a 68% increase in knife offences.
The four worst effected local authorities were the City of Wolverhampton (where youth services were cut by 91%), City of Westminster (cut by 91%), Cambridgeshire County Council (cut by 88%) and Wokingham Borough Council (81%).
Forces in these areas have also seen some of the highest knife crime rises since 2013 with an 87% increase for West Midlands Police, a 47% increase for the Metropolitan Police, a 95% increase for Cambridgeshire Police and a staggering 99% increase for Thames Valley Police.
The worry is that the more youth clubs and youth centres that close down, the more young people and children will become at risk of becoming involved in crime or gang culture through no choice of their own. With a rise of county-lines related crime and gangs around the country involving children, it is apparent that without the unseen intervention of youth clubs and of youth workers, there are more children becoming involved with dangerous crime.
County line gangs can also be seen as an attractive offer, though they aren’t, to young people and children so they can earn money to do things or unfortunately; ‘show off with’.
Looking at local newspapers from around the UK, it is also clear to see that with nothing to do, young people are becoming a nuisance to others in the community, most of the time through boredom.
What are the benefits of structure for children and young people?
There have been many tests and theories regarding children and young people and structure. Some say it is not needed and children should be left to their own devices as they can learn better this way and figure things out themselves. This does hold some credit but also can be a negative impact if there are no consequences to negative actions or negative decisions.
Others believe though that structure is critical for children to learn life skills and help make important decisions.
In a study by Newport Academy, it is said that the last part of the brain to fully develop is the part that deals with executive functioning. This is why teens tend to have a lower impulse control rate with less thought of the consequences. With the structure and boundaries which can come from joining a sports team, club, lesson or activity, these lessons are learned at a younger age and can help to increase the ability for children and young people to make positive decisions in the future.
Though a lack of clubs and youth activities that offer structure is a huge part of developing this area of thought, there are also other factors that can negatively develop it such as:
- Academic pressures
- Chronic stress
- Depression and anxiety
- ADHD and learning disabilities
- Violence at home or in the community
- Abuse
With nothing to do in their spare time, children and young people can be susceptible to may of these factors, of course except for ADHD and learning disabilities, all which can play a huge role in a diminished development. Structure through organised activity can provide some protection against these factors or at least someone to talk to about problems they may be facing.
Why isn’t there anything to do for young people?
From stringent cuts to youth services, to the pandemic giving a helping hand in closing down many clubs, over the last few years youth clubs and youth teams have been decimated for a number of reasons which has left thousands without something to do for free or at least, for very little money.
With the continuing cost of living crisis in the UK and the rise in cost of activities, young people have less money to spend on joining clubs, classes, gyms and worth-while things to do after school or after college, leaving a void for involvement in anti-social behaviour to creep in.
Austerity measures in the 2010s has also been blamed for the cut in public spending on youth services which has resulted in the diminishing off things for children to do.
The pandemic certainly also caused a lot of problems for already underfunded youth groups. Over 500 Scout groups facing closure during and after the pandemic due to the lack of funding and subs paid due to the fact that people were not able to go. Scouting in the UK has provided children and young people for decades with something to do in the evenings and weekends whilst learning new skills, meeting new friends and making lasting connections.
In recent years, there have been a lot of negative influences that seem to stack against youth clubs in the UK.
Nothing to do? What are the authorities doing?
The government has pledged, through their ‘National Youth Guarantee’, to ensure that children aged between 11 and 18 in England have access to regular clubs, days away from home, volunteering opportunities and activities by 2025. The government are investing over £500 million to this scheme to ensure that there is something worthwhile to do.
Will this be enough and will the children of England see these results by 2025?
Parents, schools and teachers are taking on more strain in free times and school holidays. With recent teacher strikes and children being able to access less learning hours, it is not only their free time that is being effected, but time in structured and planned activities..
Many children’s charities and young people’s charities are calling for more to be done in the youth sector. With the lack of funding and major reduction of youth workers, children’s charities are now struggling to keep up with the demand that is now being placed on them.
When their funding runs out or becomes low, they will also be in a position that means they cannot help as many people as they need to. With the rising costs of simple goods, less people are donating and many activities for children are becoming a lot more expensive.
What are charities doing to help children with nothing to do?
It has been found that in many areas without sufficient resources for children, county-lines gangs are preying on children and young people who may be in need of extra cash or even something to do, often being drawn in by the idea of being part of something they see as impressive, being part of something that they think can act as a community that they are craving or drawn in by the money offered.
This is why many charities in the UK are dedicated to ensuring that children can find something worthwhile to do and keep out of potential harm’s way.
Children’s charities are helping to fund free activities and organised events for children, providing safe spaces for children and young people to go to, providing sports teams sponsorship to ensure that every child is included in a sport despite their family’s income and free mental health sessions for children who are effected by stresses that come with a lack of community or have been victims of anti-social behaviour due to not having anywhere safe to go.
There are also many organisations that are providing children and young people volunteering opportunities, internships, free days out and support to ensure that their time is filled with something constructive or creative to do.
Conclusion
Though the lack of things to do for children has recently been causing trouble, there are many organisations that can help children who feel as if they are without something positive to do.
Help for young people and children can also start at home. Time permitting, there are some fantastic free things to do with children and young people that can introduce the structure and much needed activity into their lives and provide them with a real outlet.
