Queensland kids positive in face of COVID-19

The new, wide-ranging report Growing Up in Queensland has revealed the true impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on children across the state.

Queensland kids feel optimistic about the future and are resilient in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, a wide-ranging report has revealed.

More than 8,000 Queensland children aged 4 to 18 were surveyed for the Growing Up in Queensland 2020 report, lifting the lid on the hopes, dreams and struggles of children and young people from across the state.

The report revealed that time with family and friends, hobbies, animals and playing sport were the top things which bring them happiness, while nine out of ten teens said they planned to finish high school.

Meanwhile young people want adults to listen more to them, want schools to focus on teaching real-life skills rather than academic grades, and better places for recreation and socialising in their communities.

But experts also warned the true impact of the pandemic may not be felt on the younger generation for years to come, with mental health challenges and stress about education opportunities among the top issues identified.

Principal Commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission Cheryl Vardon said 56 per cent of respondents felt positive or very positive about the future, but that ongoing reporting was essential.

Cheryl Vardon.

“The contribution from young Queenslanders paint a picture of resilience and optimism through what was a tough year for many of then,” she said.

“COVID-19 really turned their lives upside down, but on the whole, they coped.

“Over half of them said they felt positive about the future, but what we have to do is monitor that over time.

“For young people to comprehend a pandemic - people wearing masks, not being able to socialise - requires a lot of ongoing explanation, and we need adults to be role models.”

One 17-year-old said “I know I personally will get lower grades” because of the interruptions, while another said “the uncertainly and inconsistencies” that have come with (the virus) during her senior year was a major cause of stress.

Young kids also expressed their concerns about the pandemic, with one 12-year-old saying “my hope for the future is that there is no wars, and coronavirus is dead forever, and we don’t get a second wave of it so then less people get dead”.

Other major issues on the minds of Queensland kids was mental health, bullying, climate change and racism.

Elliot Peel 4, Jackson Peel 6, Lachie King 8, Estelle Janser 8, and Jayla Lanser 11 at New Farm. Photo Lachie Millard.

One 14-year-old said their biggest concern was “the pressure that social media places on teenagers to look, and feel a certain way”.

The survey also revealed that more kids felt safe online than in the real world, with girls more likely to feel unsafe in their community than boys.

QFCC youth champion Annika David said this was not just another government report”.

“It is a telescope into the future of Queensland and the priorities of the world’s greatest asset – children and young people,” she said.

“We hear and understand that you are seeking more spaces for recreation and socialising and that mental health and education are of critical importance.

“Finally, we hear that you want leaders and decision makers to pay more attention to the environment and climate change.”

While more than half of survey participants believed adults were “friendly” to the youth, just 23 per cent believed adults in their community listened to young people.

Ms Vardon said it was crucial key policy makers listen to the Queensland youth when making decisions which would have ramifications for the younger generation.

“What we learn from young people, we must use to inform out work,” she said.

“Our young people are passionate and thoughtful contributors to our society and policy and decision-makers should seek out young people’s voices and listen to their views.

“It’s quite clear care about their siblings, they worry about their parents and they care for each other.

“It’s up to us to listen and to help young people – not brush them off, actively listen.”