Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children

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A systematic review suggests that children with COVID-19 have milder disease and better prognoses than adults. However, as a vulnerable population, children and youth may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in many other domains, including: education, mental health, safety, and socioeconomic stability. As with many other crises, the COVID-19 pandemic may compound existing vulnerabilities and inequalities experienced by children.

Children and youth out of school due to COVID-19 closures and Young people classified as NEET

School closures

Main article: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education

By the end of March 2020, UNESCO estimated that over 89% of the world's student population were out of school or university due to closures aimed at mitigating the spread of COVID-19. This has raised serious concerns about the known social, economic, and educational impacts of protracted school closures on students. In addition, the lack of widely available in-person educational opportunities disproportionately affects children from low-income or minority families, children with disabilities, and young women, due to disparaties in access to distance education, unequal distribution of increased child-care and domestic responsibilities, and the fact that school subsidized meal programs and vaccinations are cornerstones of child healthcare for many families. For example, school closures during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa increased school dropouts, rates of child labor, violence against children, and teen pregnancies.

Impact on most at-risk groups

Child safety is at risk during the pandemic. Children who are living in unsanitary and crowded conditions are particularly at risk. Youth, especially young women, indigenous peoples, migrants, and refugees, face heightened socio-economic and health impacts and an increased risk of gender-based violence due to social isolation, discrimination and increased financial stress. They are also more prone to child marriage and other forms of violence as families find ways to alleviate economic burdens.

Although reports of child abuse have declined by an average of 40.6% in the U.S. in April 2020 compared to April 2019, child welfare advocates suggest that this drop is an under-reporting artifact secondary to the closure of schools and daycare centers, where most reports of child abuse are made.

Unemployment

Unemployment is a serious concern for young people. Following the 2008 Economic Recession, youth unemployment rates were significantly higher in many places than overall averages, and the recent expansion of the gig economy will likely heighten this disparity. Before the pandemic hit, there was already an upward trend in the number of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEET). Out of some 267 million young people globally classified as NEET,

Impact on young migrants

This global crisis is exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and inequalities experienced by young people, all further amplified in humanitarian contexts where fragility, conflict, and emergencies have undermined institutional capacity and limited access to services. Young migrants, young people who are internally displaced and refugees, young people living in poor, high-density urban areas, young people without a home, young people living with disabilities, those living with HIV will be particularly affected; young people separated from, unaccompanied, or left behind by migrant working parents face higher risks of exploitation, violence, and mental health issues, and already poor access to health services and protection.

Sources

 This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA IGO 3.0 License statement/permission on Wikimedia Commons. Text taken from Explainer: How COVID-19 Impacts Women and Girls, Young Women and Girls, UN Women. To learn how to add open license text to Wikipedia articles, please see this how-to page. For information on reusing text from Wikipedia, please see the terms of use.