The Well-Being of Children in the UK (4th edition)

Now in its fourth edition, this is the classic assessment of the state of child well-being in the United Kingdom. This edition has been updated to review the latest evidence, examining the outcomes for children of the impact of the economic crisis and austerity measures since 2008. It draws together a vast amount of robust empirical evidence and includes intra-UK and international comparisons. Edited by a highly regarded expert in the field, each chapter covers a different domain of child well-being, including health, wellbeing, housing and education. This is an invaluable resource for academics, students, practitioners and policy makers concerned with child welfare and wellbeing. THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN THE UK Contents List of figures and tables List of abbreviations Notes on contributors Acknowledgements 1. Introduction Efforts to monitor child well-being What does child well-being mean? Comparative indices of child well-being Spending on children Structure of the book Conclusion 2. Demography of childhood Introduction Child population Age composition of the child population Fertility Average family size Ethnicity Marriage, cohabitation and lone parenthood Divorce and remarriage Lone parents Stepparents Only children Conclusion 3. Child poverty and deprivation Introduction Policy context Child poverty Country, regional and area variations in child poverty Characteristics of children in poverty Child poverty dynamics Intergenerational transmission of poverty The views of children Child poverty and the financial crisis International comparisons of child poverty Comparisons of material well-being and other domains of well-being at an international level Conclusion 4. Physical health Introduction Infant and child mortality Birth weight Infant feeding Immunisations Self-assessed health Comparative studies of self-assessed child health Common chronic conditions with increasing prevalence Injuries and accidents Dental health Health behaviours in children International comparisons of overall child health Conclusion 5. Subjective well-being and mental health Introduction: Subjective well-being Introduction: Mental health Suicide Conclusion 6. Education Introduction Overview of key changes in education policy, 2010-15 Education attainment of children at the end of Key Stage 2 Attainment at 15+ Competences at the age of 15 Children’s well-being at schools Disaffection in education Latest findings on educational inequality and social mobility Conclusion 7. Housing and the environment for children Introduction Poor housing Homelessness Poor environments Conclusion 8. Children’s time and space Introduction Children’s spaces Virtual space Children’s play Children’s time use Children’s employment Children as carers Conclusion 9. Children and young people in care and leaving care Introduction Numbers, trends and characteristics of children in care Experiences of care The well-being of children in care Routes out of care Conclusion 10. Child maltreatment Introduction Definitions Data sources Administrative data Self-report data1 Conclusion 11. Childcare and early years Introduction Background Child outcomes Early intervention Conclusion 12. Children, crime and correction Introduction Definitions and indicators Overall levels of crime Types of crime committed by children First time entrants to the youth justice system Outcomes and punishments Key issues in relation to the use of custody Trends in reoffending Conclusion 13. Conclusion What is the comparative evidence? What are the national trends? Recent context Future context Bibliography Index The 'Well-being of Children in the UK' is a comprehensive report on the physical, cognitive, behavioural and emotional well-being of children in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It provides an up-to-date and thorough review of existing data. This is the classic assessment of the state of child well-being in the UK. This fourth edition has been updated to review the latest evidence, including the impact of the economic crisis and austerity measures since 2008. An essential resource