The Commission has released a new snapshot about the experiences of Victorian children and young people during COVID lockdowns 5 and 6, between July and October 2021.
The snapshot summarises 798 survey responses from children and young people aged between 10 and 25 years. We heard that:
- many children and young people continued to struggle with poor mental health as a result of COVID-19
- children and young people were particularly concerned about the impacts of COVID-19 and multiple lockdowns on their education, particularly those doing VCE
- some children and young people didn’t feel safe at home due to family violence, and others felt unsafe out in the community due to the virus and sometimes due to bullying and harassment
- children and young people are very concerned about their future, including what will happen to them because of the pandemic, as well as due to climate change
- children and young people want to be involved in decisions and processes around recovery from the pandemic
- they wanted better and more youth relevant information about COVID-19 and more activities for young people to do.
Since early 2020, the Commission has been asking children and young people about the impacts of COVID-19 on their lives. We have published what we have heard in a series of snapshots and have shared feedback with government and the broader community about what children and young people need to feel supported.
Together with our previous snapshots, our new publication builds on the growing evidence about the disproportionate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and young people, and provides an important context to inform improvements to service systems.
This new snapshot provides useful insights to inform the response to the significant economic, social and health impacts of the pandemic.