Every child has the right to be healthy and strong as they grow up. However, millions of children throughout the world experience unimaginable suffering due to a variety of causes. Armed warfare, natural catastrophes, and other humanitarian crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are examples. They may be compelled to escape their homes, with some becoming separated from their parents and caretakers. During a war, kids may be subjected to horrific brutality, serious injuries, and the possibility of being recruited into armed organizations. Many people are cut off from basic amenities like clean water, health care, and education, particularly when cities grow militarized and communities become split. The pandemic has put an extra strain on youngsters today and for the last two years. One out of every seven teenagers is expected to have mental health issues by 2020.
This translates to over 175 million teenage males and girls worldwide, increasing approximately 4 million since 2000. Furthermore, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least 1 in 7 children – or 332 million – has been subjected to mandatory stay-at-home rules, putting their mental health and well-being at risk. Children are separated from their friends and loved ones, or they may end up in a home where they are abused. Furthermore, many youngsters become agitated, worried, nervous, and sad as a result of their experiences. These are the things that put their capacity to grow up healthy and happy at jeopardy.
Importantly, violence, pandemics, and humanitarian crises, for example, can have a long-term impact on their mental, physical, and social development. Such events can have a negative impact on a child's brain development. Severe discomfort and exposure to traumatic experiences in teenagers can result in a variety of negative consequences, including alcohol and drug misuse, low self-esteem, health problems, poor academic performance, self-harm, and suicide. Stigma, discrimination, and even human rights abuses are other issues that children with mental health issues face. They may be ostracized from their communities or subjected to more violence, even in locations where they should feel secure.
As a result, UNICEF works to promote caring circumstances that allow children to reach their full potential. Children, adolescents, caregivers, families, and the general public can all benefit from our mental health and psychosocial services. Setting up safe places with frequent, scheduled activities to assist children and adolescents acquire skills to deal with crises, solve issues, manage their emotions, and build and sustain relationships, is one example. Peer-to-peer groups, leisure activities, sports, and life-skills and vocational training are all possibilities. Furthermore, bullying, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence are also addressed in the larger community by providing additional specialized care to vulnerable children.
It is important to be aware of the vulnerability that children face and how that can be tackled with everyone’s help. By donating for children’s cause and vowing for children’s development simultaneously, the future of our societies will be more stable, secure and advanced.
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