Youth work is facing a crisis – just when young people need help the most

At a time when young people are facing unprecedented challenges, there are fewer and fewer people engaged in serving them. Ali Campbell asks: What can the Church do to stand in the gap?

According to Jonathan Haidt’s book, Anxious Generation, the great rewiring of childhood - through the use of digital devices (in particular smart phones) - is causing an epidemic of mental illness among young people.

Much research, including the Children’s Society annual Good Childhood Report backs this up. Since the survey began in 2009, young people’s sense of wellbeing has declined sharply. Shockingly, the UK’s 15-year-olds had the lowest average life satisfaction in Europe, with almost a quarter reporting low levels of wellbeing.

Pre-Covid, around ten per cent of pupils were regularly absent from school. Now that figure is closer to 20 per cent.