The Good Childhood Report 2026

Young Advisor Foreword

During the year, I have had the role of a Young Advisor for The Good Childhood Report 2026. To make this project possible, for the last 15 years, many young people from various backgrounds, religions, ages, genders, and sexual orientations have shared their experiences, challenges and viewpoints on the importance of their wellbeing and connections with others. This report is not just one person's work but a whole community of hardworking individuals who have put their valuable time into making a positive difference. However, young people need a support system, we need a support system that will ensure we reach our entire potential. Unfortunately, this sense of support, connection and belonging is not something that every young person has access to. 

As there is a lack of attention to the wellbeing of young people, statistics show a significant decline through many years. Additionally, the United Kingdom has had some of the lowest levels of wellbeing among Europe. Throughout the country it is not seen as important or valued that the future generations are not receiving support and care that they need. A person’s childhood dictates their adult lives. The Good Childhood Report is a research project that pushes forward the importance of young people receiving the opportunities and connections they deserve. 

As a teenage girl growing up without a mother, and having various mental health struggles, this had opened me up to understanding the experiences of various classmates and friends and knowing how to be one of their supporters, but what had always broken my heart was the fact of seeing so many other classmates and friends not being able to understand what a person is feeling and how to support them. This is what has inspired me to become a Young Advisor. I wanted to have a part in pushing for an equal chance for all young people and make sure that they are being heard. To make a real impact on the wellbeing of the young population, we must hear their voices through community and a trustworthy connection to make meaningful and fulfilling changes. 

Sara
Young Advisor to The Good Childhood Report 2026 

Chief Executive Foreword 

This is our 15th Good Childhood Report and, as I sit down to write this foreword, I find myself thinking about something we hear time and time again from young people – the importance of feeling like you belong. 

Last year, our report explored the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. 1  Young people told us about the importance of the communities and relationships that help them navigate the challenges of growing up. Their insights stayed with us long after the report was published and prompted an important question. If it takes a village to raise a child, what helps children and young people feel that they truly belong within that village? This year we aim to answer that question. 

The Good Childhood Report is the UK's leading research series into children's wellbeing. Throughout its existence, it has shown that far too many children and young people report declining happiness and lower life satisfaction. While these trends remain a serious concern, this year’s report also points to a solution: a strong sense of belonging can play a vital role in protecting and supporting young people’s wellbeing. 

The encouraging thing is that young people have been remarkably clear about what helps them feel like they belong. They talk about trusted adults who listen to and support them, places where they feel welcome and safe, opportunities to pursue their interests, spend time with friends, contribute to their communities and feel like their voice matters. In other words, they talk about feeling connected. 

Our research shows that these connections matter. Young people who feel connected to their local communities and have trusted adults in their lives are less likely to experience low wellbeing, they are more likely to have supportive relationships around them, and more likely to seek help when they need it. When those connections are missing, young people can become isolated and excluded, heightening the risk of poor wellbeing, exploitation and other harms. 

Many of these things already exist. Across the country, I see extraordinary people working every day to support children and young people. I meet youth workers, teachers, volunteers, community leaders and practitioners who are creating opportunities to help young people thrive. Their commitment gives me enormous hope. 

Yet too often whether a young person can access these opportunities depends on where they live or whether a local youth service has survived. A good childhood should never depend on luck, and caring support should never be a postcode lottery. 

The challenge facing us is not that we do not know what works, it is that too many young people cannot access the things that we know help them feel connected, supported and valued. 

The recommendations in this report set out how we can begin to change that. They are practical and ambitious, rooted firmly in the experiences of young people themselves. Most importantly, they recognise that belonging is not an optional extra, it is a foundation of wellbeing and a vital part of a good childhood. 

I am absolutely convinced that improving children's wellbeing must be a national mission and a defining priority of our age. This report gives us reason to hope because it shows us a path forward. If we are serious about improving wellbeing, then we must be serious about young people feeling deep down that their lives matter and that they belong.  

This is my 8th foreword to our annual Good Childhood Report, and more than ever I believe in young people. I believe in their talents, their heart for justice, and their commitment to make a difference. More than ever in this complex world, young people need people they trust, places they belong, the power to influence decisions, and pathways to opportunities and support.  

Together, we must build a future where every young person can thrive.   

Mark Russell OBE
Chief Executive
The Children’s Society 

Now in its 15th year, The Children’s Society’s Good Childhood Report provides an annual assessment of the wellbeing of children and young people in the UK. The Good Childhood Report 2026 presents trends and patterns in their wellbeing and explores the theme of people and places of belonging. It brings together quantitative and qualitative insights from children and young people, including from a group of Young Advisors who conducted research with their peers, and from professionals who work directly with children and young people. 

Key findings 

Children and young people’s overall wellbeing 

• Children and young people’s wellbeing remains in decline, with their average life satisfaction and happiness with specific aspects of life significantly lower than in 2009/10. 
• A sizeable proportion (10%) of children and young people continue to have low wellbeing. 
• There continues to be differences in subjective wellbeing between genders, with females significantly less happy than males both with their life as a whole and with several aspects of their lives. 
• School and appearance were the aspects of life that children and young people were most commonly unhappy with. 
• Rising prices was children and young people’s main worry about society, while almost four in five parents and carers were concerned about increases to the cost of living. 

Belonging and wellbeing 

• Young people defined belonging as feeling accepted, welcomed, included and valued for who they truly are. 
• Belonging was considered by young people and professionals as integral to young people’s wellbeing, with both qualitative insights and survey data highlighting an association between a lack of belonging and low wellbeing. 
• A range of challenges affected young people’s ability to develop a positive sense of belonging and often led to them feeling pressured to change who they are to fit in and conform to expectations. 
• Young people and professionals associated a positive sense of community belonging with young people’s ability to have a say about how their communities are shaped. 

Low wellbeing and belonging

• Low wellbeing was significantly associated with a lower sense of belonging in the community and in a young person’s local area. 
• Nearly a quarter of young people with low wellbeing did not feel like they belonged in their community and two in five young people with low wellbeing did not feel like they belonged in their local area. 
• Nearly one in five young people with low wellbeing did not feel like they could be themselves in their community and almost a third with low wellbeing did not feel like they could be themselves in their local area. 
• Over two in five young people with low wellbeing felt uncomfortable and out of place in their local area and over a quarter with low wellbeing did not feel welcomed by adults in their local area. 

Places that foster belonging and enable access to trusted adults 

• While most young people felt comfortable in their local area and their community, one in five felt uncomfortable and out of place in their local area and almost one in six felt uncomfortable and out of place in their community. 
• Young people having access to safe spaces and activities in their local areas was fundamental to developing a sense of belonging; however, such opportunities were too often inadequate or lacking altogether. 
• The availability of places where young people could feel like they belonged was also crucial for their ability to access support via trusted adults when it was needed. 
• Having access to a trusted adult outside of the family was not only important to enable young people to access support, it was also found to be significantly associated with wellbeing. 
• Young people with low wellbeing were more likely not to have a trusted adult to turn to (over one in five compared to just 6.1% of those with access to a trusted adult).  
• Young people and professionals identified a range of barriers that prevented young people from receiving support. These centred around challenges hindering young people from building trusting relationships, together with systemic issues affecting trusted adults’ ability to provide the support needed. 

Policy recommendations 

The Children’s Society’s recommendations 2  provide a roadmap for strengthening children’s sense of belonging and improving their wellbeing via the four Ps of belonging: People, Places, Power and Pathways. 

Every young person should be able to feel like they belong and matter. For this, young people need:   

• people they trust   
• places they belong   
• power to influence decisions   
• pathways to opportunities and support.   

The Good Childhood Report 2026 is The Children’s Society’s 15th annual report on the wellbeing of children and young people in the UK. This marks a significant milestone towards The Children’s Society’s organisational goal to overturn the decline in children’s wellbeing. Survey data continues to highlight worrying trends and patterns in children’s wellbeing, including the decline in their happiness and the urgency with which this needs to be addressed. Working in close collaboration with a group of Young Advisors for a second year has allowed The Children’s Society to centre the research on their insights and experiences. Peer research conducted by the Young Advisors, alongside research with professionals who work directly with children and young people, facilitated the in-depth exploration of two interlinked fundamental themes in children and young people’s wellbeing: their sense of belonging, and the trusted adults who are crucial for support. 

The focus for the 15th Good Childhood Report was grounded in the research conducted for The Good Childhood Report 2025, particularly the central finding that “it takes a village to raise a child”. 3  We wanted to find out, if it takes a village to raise a child, how can children’s sense of belonging within that ‘village’ be strengthened to improve their wellbeing? This led to a focus on places and people of belonging, exploring: 

• the link between children and young people’s wellbeing and their sense of belonging in their local areas and wider communities 
• the role of trusted adults in fostering a sense of belonging to the local community, as well as supporting children and young people when they need it. 

Previous research has focused on school belonging, 4  but much less attention has been paid to children and young people’s sense of belonging in their local areas and communities, which both young people and professionals highlighted as important in The Good Childhood Report 2025. 5  They also described how these ‘third spaces’ provide access to trusted adults, who young people can turn to when they need support.  

Drawing on both survey data and qualitative research for this year’s report enabled in-depth exploration of these themes. Findings are also set against the wider context for children’s wellbeing, which this year additionally includes a presentation of children’s subjective wellbeing by region of England, thanks to Sport England’s Active Lives survey. 6  

In addition to sharing their own insights and conducting peer research focus groups, the Young Advisors supported the interpretation of the data they gathered by identifying overarching themes and subsequently reviewing and commenting on the results of further thematic analysis. To centre the results of the research around young people’s voices, Chapters 2 to 4 of The Good Childhood Report 2026 are shaped by their insights, supported by evidence from professionals and targeted questions from the household survey. The latest survey data in children’s wellbeing are presented in Chapter 1 to provide context for this narrative.

Importance of measuring children’s wellbeing and early support 

The Children’s Society’s publication in February 2026, How Has Children’s Wellbeing Changed?, offered a review of the evidence gathered by the Good Childhood research programme to date. 7  It made a strong case for “the breadth and depth of what can be learnt when children and young people’s subjective wellbeing is measured and the results investigated via robust analyses as well as qualitative insights”. 8  When this report was published, The Children’s Society and a group of Young Influencers went to Number 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition calling on the Government to introduce an annual National Wellbeing Measurement, published nationally and locally to inform policymaking and support for young people. 

Key findings from Chapter 1 

The Children’s Society’s household survey (2026 – age 10 to 17)  

• In 2026, 10% of the children and young people who took part in the household survey had low wellbeing. 
• School was the aspect of life that children and young people were most commonly unhappy with. 
• Rising prices was children and young people’s main worry about society, while almost four in five parents and carers were concerned about increases to the cost of living. 

Understanding Society (2023/24 – age 10 to 15) 

• Children’s average happiness with all six aspects of life continues to be significantly lower than when the survey started (in 2009/10). 
• In 2023/24, females were on average significantly less happy than males with their life as a whole, their appearance, school, and, for the first time since 2016/17, with their friends.  
• Males and females differed in the aspects of life they were most commonly unhappy with. Males were most commonly unhappy with their schoolwork and school, while females were most commonly unhappy with their appearance. 

Children and young people’s overall life satisfaction 

Both Understanding Society and The Children’s Society’s household survey measure children’s overall life satisfaction: 

• The latest Understanding Society data, from 2023/24, shows that children’s average happiness with their life as a whole was significantly lower than when the survey started (in 2009/10).  
• 10% of children and young people who took part in the household survey this year had low wellbeing. 

The distribution of scores for the GCI’s measure of overall life satisfaction, that is used to identify the proportion of children and young people with low overall wellbeing, is presented in Figure 2. 26  

Figure 2. Latest figures for overall life satisfaction for children and young people aged 10 to 17. 

Key findings from Chapter 2 

Insights gathered from young people and professionals provided a detailed understanding of what belonging meant and felt like to young people, while survey data allowed for an exploration of young people’s feelings of belonging in their local area and wider communities. The research highlighted how a sense of belonging – or a lack thereof – was linked with wellbeing.  

• Belonging was defined by young people as feeling unconditionally accepted for who they are. 
• Young people and professionals saw belonging as intrinsically linked to young people’s wellbeing. 
• Both survey data and qualitative insights suggested that young people who did not have a positive sense of belonging to their community and their local area were likely to have low wellbeing. 
• While most young people felt comfortable in their local area and their community, one in five felt uncomfortable and out of place in their local area, and almost one in six felt uncomfortable and out of place in their community. 

“Sense of belonging is like essential to how we operate as human beings.” - Young person 

“Like they’re okay to be themselves”: how young people defined belonging 

Throughout the peer research conducted by the Young Advisors, young people associated belonging with feeling like they were accepted, valued, able to be their true selves and safe. Words that they used to define belonging were: 

Feeling: 

• accepted 

• comfortable   

• included   

• valued    

• welcomed  

• seen  

• understood  

• paid attention to  

• respected   

• validated  

• not judged  

• heard   

• able to be themselves     

• safe  

• supported  

• trusted and trusting.

Key findings from Chapter 3 

Insights from young people and professionals outlined the positive impact that having access to suitable spaces and activities had on young people’s sense of belonging. They also highlighted the importance of sharing power with young people to increase their sense of belonging and ensure that spaces for young people were suitable. 

• Suitable spaces and activities provided young people with opportunities to develop their identity, connect with others, and supported a sense of belonging and wellbeing. Both young people and professionals outlined the dire need for more spaces that are suitable for young people. 
• There need to be more opportunities for young people to have a say, with their views meaningfully listened to and acted on, so they can shape the spaces and activities available to them in their local areas. 
• Spaces and activities needed to be accessible, affordable, suitable and inclusive of all young people – and young people needed to be aware of them. 
• Additional barriers such as negative perceptions of young people negatively impacted young people’s ability to access spaces and therefore their sense of belonging. 

Connection and identity development 

Young people emphasised the importance of being able to connect with like-minded people to develop their identity and sustain a sense of belonging. They said it was crucial that they had access to spaces and activities in their local areas which enabled them to do this: 

"That mutual feeling and connection towards something that's going to allow you to connect and come together as a community […] and allow you to have that better wellbeing that you're striving to have."

- Young person 

However, young people and professionals emphasised that opportunities for in-person connections were either limited or lacking altogether, and both groups called for more in-person opportunities: 

"I think we need […] more activities within the community, […] it's like there's no activities in that people can't, like, socialise with their community."

- Young person 

Some young people felt that community outreach initiatives and volunteering offered positive opportunities for young people to foster their sense of belonging by developing a sense of connection to their community, providing exposure to new experiences that they otherwise might not have, and supporting their skills development. 

Digital Connections 

Young people and professionals outlined that digital communities could support young people’s sense of belonging by enabling connections with those who had mutual interests, experiences or characteristics. They felt that this might be particularly important for young people whose interests, characteristics or experiences were very specific, who didn’t feel safe to express their identity to those around them or who might feel less confident meeting others in person.  

However, the Young Advisors commented that online spaces could become an additional burden with regards to belonging: 

"…to live in a physical and online community can really push young people into striving for validation from two different environments."

- Young Advisor 

Young people and professionals highlighted that digital lives could create pressure for young people to change by setting perceived standards and expectations. Young people described online hate as “prominent” and that some digital spaces “can get really nasty”. 

Spaces and opportunities: what works and what gets in the way? 

Having access to spaces and activities that suited young people’s needs and interests was mentioned by both young people and professionals as crucial. Young people explained that youth clubs, 47  groups and extracurricular activities provided opportunities to engage in positive experiences, form friendships, and develop their confidence, skills and a sense of belonging: 

"When you have like a genuine interest, when you have something you're able to engage in, be like volunteering, like going to the gym, like doing some kind of sport, that becomes a much more concrete sense of belonging that I think serves young people a lot better in the long term in terms of their wellbeing."

- Young person 

Youth clubs and projects were also explicitly referenced by professionals as one of the types of spaces that were necessary for young people to feel a sense of belonging: 

“In my experience those that have access to youth provision/groups are often happier than those with no provision near them.” - Professional 

Welcoming spaces 

Throughout the peer research, young people described spaces and experiences in their local areas that fostered a sense of belonging. Some examples they gave: 

• Parks were cited as a good option for easy gatherings as young people could go and “just sit down or something”. Some young people particularly appreciated parks or outdoor areas with sports or outdoors gym equipment as they allowed them to exercise and have fun for free. 
• More generally, young people felt that outdoor activities were a good way of fostering a sense of connection without being pressurising, for example: “just going for a walk somewhere with people is like, it takes your mind off really worrying about conversation a lot”. 
• Libraries were mentioned by different groups of young people as examples of places where young people would feel like they belonged as they could study and relax. 
• Some young people highlighted that having the opportunity to do work experience locally could foster a sense of belonging and equip them with connections and skills. 
• When relevant to them, young people felt a sense of belonging in their local places of worship. 

Young people were clear, however, that how welcomed young people would feel in a space would be different from person to person and that different groups of young people might experience the same spaces differently.  

Professionals identified youth-friendly spaces as one of the main influences on young people’s sense of belonging to their local area. They cited the importance of young people “having safe, accessible places to come together and hang out”, and “a sense that they have safe spaces to go and that they are welcome”. Several professionals emphasised that it was crucial that this included access to outdoors spaces, with opportunities for young people to play. They also spoke about the role of local and grassroots initiatives in supporting young people’s sense of belonging to their local area by providing them with a safe space to go to and “be”. They provided the following examples of local initiatives set up to improve young people’s sense of belonging in their local areas: 

• a “youth cafe for teenagers” set up by a church 
• a “bus stop sports club”, where young people could “get off the bus and then they’re just there with a, you know, a smile and a lack of judgement and a basketball” 
• “pop-up sports on consenting volunteers’ driveways”, to make up for the lack of spaces for young people to play sports. 

"It was the only available space where we could put like a basketball hoop or something, and just give the kids a chance to play about."

- Professional 

Schools 

Schools were identified by young people as either potential places of belonging, or potential places of pressure and isolation: 

"You can either feel really included or you can feel really excluded."

- Young person 

Young people shared that schools could be “a great place, especially when it comes to extracurricular activities, different clubs”, which would help young people find a community based on mutual connection. However, they also outlined that schools were environments where young people could feel under a lot of pressure to fit in. 48  

Some professionals identified additional challenges for young people attending secondary schools, which were often larger and more distant from young people’s homes in contrast to small, local primary schools which they felt fostered a stronger sense of belonging. Young people and professionals also mentioned an overfocus on academic achievement 49  as a common factor in young people feeling like they did not belong within their school community: 

"I think exam results and the pressure that are put on such young people is making it harder for younger people to find a place where they belong"

- Young person  

Many professionals felt that schools and teachers played an important role in a young person’s overall sense of belonging, but some worried that schools were not always able to meet young people’s needs.  

"Far too many young people aren't doing well at school because what they experience and receive simply doesn't meet their needs [they] and feel they don't belong at school."

- Professional  

The topic of representation was also touched on by some young people, who highlighted the importance of a diverse and representative curriculum for fostering a sense of belonging for all pupils: 

“I think it's really important to have like a diverse, like, required curriculum. So like in school, every day you're learning about new people in history and learning that, like, who you are, or being different, is completely normal. And that no one, no two people are the same and it's okay to be whoever you are.” 

- Young person

Lack of spaces 

Both groups outlined the dire need for more spaces for young people, and professionals highlighted that the availability of spaces was unequal and dependent on what happened to be available in each local area.  

• Results from the mixed-method survey conducted with professionals highlighted the lack of spaces available to young people. The majority (26 out of 31) of professionals who took part in the survey did not feel that there were enough appropriate places for young people to go and spend time in the local areas they worked in. 50  

Young people highlighted that often, the only spaces they have access to are not particularly suitable: 

"Like the most that I have in my area is like a park, a big shopping place and that's kind of it and that's all I can really do"

- Young person  

Both young people and professionals highlighted the link between the lack of options available to young people for in-person connections, and young people turning to “socialis[ing] online”. They felt that more in-person opportunities would help reduce the use of social media and online options. One professional summarised a negative loop between a lack of in-person opportunities and a perceived over-reliance on digital alternatives in the following way: 

"And, at the same time, being forced online, but then being told off for being online. So they're in a no-win situation."

- Professional 

The Young Advisors felt that this point was particularly “topical” given the recently announced social media ban for under-16s. 51  They felt that, if social media was banned or limited for young people, it was crucial that more in-person opportunities were offered as alternative ways to engage young people, as these would be more effective than rules in supporting young people’s connections and belonging: 

"One point that really came through for me was making sure that we have alternatives to social media, not just rules because people always bypass rules but if there is an alternative to turn to, that’s how you’re actually going to stop the problem and help."

- Young Advisor 

Inclusion 

Young people and professionals emphasised the importance of there being a broad range of spaces and activities to recognise the diversity of young people’s interests, needs, characteristics and experiences. They also highlighted that clubs and activities needed to be inclusive and to be developed with the diversity of young people and their varied and, at times, intersecting needs in mind.  

Inclusivity and representation were cited by young people as crucial components of developing their identity and feeling a sense of belonging. They outlined that this was particularly relevant for specific groups, for example neurodivergent young people, those from the LGBTQ+ community and those with specific cultures or traditions.  

“They might feel least included in places where they feel judged, excluded, or don't see people like themselves represented.” 

- Young person 

Professionals felt that representation was particularly important for groups with specific identities or interests: 

"If young people aren't seeing themselves in their communities and in spaces […], then that's a barrier for them being able to access it."

- Professional

Professionals commented that this was especially important when young people straddled more than one minority or marginalised group and therefore had intersecting identities that might make it harder for them to feel like they belonged in more generic spaces or groups. 

Accessibility and suitability 

Young people highlighted the importance of them being aware of the opportunities that do exist in their area. They explained that too often, young people “don’t actually know of, you know, the opportunities in the area” and they wanted to see “more promotion”. 

"It’s very difficult to know where to go unless you’ve been told."

- Young person  

Location and cost were said to create additional barriers to access for some young people. Professionals discussed that geographical barriers were particularly relevant for young people living rurally, for whom it might be “very difficult to access any sort of provision outside of the immediate neighbourhood”. While young people showed an overall awareness that not all opportunities can be free, they felt that there should be more free options for them, and that paid-for options should at least be affordable. 

"If we want to do anything, like there's not, there's not many recreational places where we can do things that don't require a certain amount of money or like a lot of effort or a certain amount of travel. I think that needs to be a bit more accessible to all groups of children."

- Young person 

Professionals echoed this concern, highlighting that many activities were “only for families with capital to fund them”. 

"The things that are available are usually too expensive for families to afford."

- Professional 

Young people and professionals also outlined that at times, spaces and activities were not suitable for young people, in particular teenagers. Both groups described spaces or activities that were targeted at younger children, or simply not open to teenagers, which left teenagers feeling excluded or being perceived as disruptive if they did use the spaces: 

"Like, the little park at the end of the street might have a roundabout and some swings. Like, that's fine for younger kids, but, like - in a space like that, as soon as teenagers arrive in it, they'll then proceed to be disruptive and stopping other people using the park. But okay, where else can they go?"

- Professional 

Young people also outlined that when opportunities were designed with too wide or generic an approach, no specific age group actually felt catered for: 

“They also need to be very like age specific, if that makes sense, because what younger young people will need will be very different to what sort of older young people need. […] To create community with everyone is obviously the main goal, but you also need to consider that the people that are coming may be different and may have different needs.” - Young person  

Young people and professionals highlighted that spaces and activities are often designed by adults without young people’s involvement. This meant that the opportunities were not always “appealing”, “inviting” or “actually enjoyable”. Professionals highlighted that young people have to ‘make do’ with the public spaces that happen to be available in the local area, and that spaces for young people were sometimes quite “traditional” and were often not codesigned with them. As a result, professionals worried that young people felt “very little connection because nothing locally matches their lived experience”. Young people were aware of this limitation too: 

"I think also the opportunities that are given to young people need to actually be appealing […]. Most of the time that I see them, they're kind of created by older people or... not older people, but people who aren't, like, teenagers."

- Young person  

Young people were keen for adults to work with them to develop spaces and activities that would suit their needs.

Negative perceptions of young people 

Both young people and professionals felt that negative labelling of young people, particularly teenagers, was widespread. This, they felt, affected young people’s sense of belonging in their communities, as they felt “prejudged” and not accepted. This impacted young people’s experiences of some public spaces which were described as “really unwelcoming”. As this was a finding that emerged from The Good Childhood Report 2025, 52  this was an aspect that the research with professionals further focused on this year.  

In The Children’s Society’s survey of professionals working directly with young people, respondents were asked to indicate, based on their professional experiences, whether they felt that public spaces tended to be welcoming of young people in the local areas in which they worked.  

• Over half of respondents (18 out of 31) did not feel that public spaces were welcoming for young people. 53  
• Over half of respondents (16 out of 31) felt that public spaces had become less welcoming of young people. 54   

"There's a lack of... I suppose, a positive youth perception, which means that when they're in kind of the general population in the wider community […], they're often kind of shunned or moved along or sneered at and they don't feel very welcome."

- Professional 

Professionals described the role of both traditional media and social media in this negative perception of young people, with news stories about young people being “very often negative stories”. Professionals and young people both described that these negative assumptions could lead to young people being pushed out of public spaces and feeling “disenfranchised” and like the place where they live is “not for [them]”.   

Negative perceptions of young people was also said by a number of professionals to impact the ways in which young people, in particular teenagers, were provided for in their local areas and communities. One professional said, “the media show teenagers in a negative light, therefore communities are wary of having areas where young people can gather”.  

“There's kind of a preconceived notion especially among older generations that whenever groups of young people are out together, it's immediately going to be something negative. […] People assuming you're up to no good.” 

- Young person 

Both young people and professionals felt that this created a cycle where negative views of young people and subsequent lack of provision “sort of pushes sort of rebellious behaviour” from young people and led to older generations having negative experiences of sharing public spaces with young people, furthering negative views about them.  

Key findings from Chapter 4 

Access to trusted adults and to support when it was needed was identified by young people and professionals as an essential protective factor for young people’s sense of belonging.  

• While the majority of young people reported that they had an adult that would be there for them outside of their family, young people with low wellbeing were more likely to feel like they did not have a trusted adult to turn to. 
• Over one in five (21.7%) respondents with low wellbeing felt they did not have an adult to turn to, compared with just 6.1% of those who did not report low wellbeing. 
• Young people shared that they were most likely to turn to a teacher. Both young people and professionals stressed that any trusted adult needed to listen, be non-judgemental and have young people’s best interests at heart. 
• Specific circumstances and experiences hindered young people from accessing support, such as stigma, feeling like they are not taken seriously, feeling misunderstood or judged, and having had negative previous experiences of services or support. 
• In order to be able to support young people, trusted adults in professional roles 55  needed appropriate training and support, time to build trusted relationships with young people, financial investment to support their work, and to be equipped and supported to act on young people’s views and refer them to further help when necessary. 

Relationships and support: what works and what gets in the way? 

Young people and professionals both outlined that young people having access to support when they did not feel like they belonged was fundamental. This included young people having spaces where they could access support and people that they could turn to. 

“I think young people need spaces where they can go if they're not feeling great and they want to get out of the house […] if you want to speak to somebody, speak to somebody, but you can just be yourself and, you know, be in a different environment.” - Young person 

"If you are feeling well taken care of, if you're feeling supported, you know, you are able to access community things, you are able to put yourself out there […] So all of this is intrinsically linked to the theme of belonging."

– Professional 

Several professionals highlighted the importance of support catering to specific groups of young people, including those experiencing physical, cultural or societal barriers. 

Having someone to turn to 

Young people and professionals both highlighted how vital it was that each individual young person felt they had someone they trusted that they could turn to when they needed support. 

• In the surveys and interviews with professionals, this mostly centred on trusted adults, and primarily on adults in professional roles, outside of young people’s family environments. 
• During the peer research sessions, young people focused on a wider definition of having someone to turn to, which included their peers as well as people within their family environment and external to it.   

The Children’s Society’s household survey 2026 asked young people whether they had access to a trusted adult outside of their family. Overall, three quarters (76%) of young people agreed or strongly agreed that, if they needed advice or someone to talk to, there were adults outside of their family who would be there for them. Only a very small proportion (6%) disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement. 56  

Analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between having access to a trusted adult when needed and young people’s overall life satisfaction. Results showed that low wellbeing was significantly associated with young people reporting that they did not have a trusted adult they could turn to if they needed. 57  

As shown in Figure 16 young people with low wellbeing were more likely to disagree that there was an adult outside of their family that would be there for them. Over one in five (21.7%) respondents with low wellbeing felt they did not have an adult to turn to, compared with just 6.1% of those who did not report low wellbeing. 

These findings echo the insights from the qualitative research, where young people and professionals emphasised the impact of not feeling able to reach out or having a trusted adult to turn to: 

“It can be really damaging if you don't have people that you can talk to or fall back on when something like life is hard.” - Young person

Figure 16. Percentage of children (aged 10 to 17) with and without low wellbeing who disagreed with a statement about having an adult outside of the family to turn to.

This 15th Good Childhood Report focuses on places and people that support children and young people to feel like they belong – an essential part of their wellbeing. Subjective wellbeing questions from surveys continue to provide important context into UK children and young people’s wellbeing. They show that young people’s wellbeing remains in decline, that a sizeable minority of them have low wellbeing, and that females fare worse than males overall. They also indicate that too many children and young people continue to be unhappy with school and their appearance, and to be worried about rising prices. Qualitative insights gathered from young people and professionals complemented quantitative data to allow for the identification of the fundamental ‘ingredients’ that support young people’s sense of belonging to their local areas and communities, improving their overall wellbeing, and the barriers that jeopardise this. 

Young people’s vision for belonging 

The research has shown clearly what belonging looks like for young people. It requires young people to: 

The Children’s Society’s household survey 2026 

Each year The Children’s Society conducts an online household survey capturing the views of a minimum of 2,000 children and young people aged 10 to 17, as well as a parent and carer for each. The Children’s Society started running these surveys in 2010 and they were quarterly at the time; see Appendix B for detail of the Good Childhood research programme. To date, 25 survey waves (now yearly) have now been conducted, collecting the views of over 52,000 children and young people. 

These household surveys collect data about children and young people’s subjective wellbeing, together with contextual information and a different module of ad hoc questions every year which focus on topical issues. The subjective wellbeing module of questions centres around The Children’s Society’s Good Childhood Index (GCI), first launched in 2010 following developmental work that included consultations with children and young people. The GCI is made up of a multi-item measure of overall life satisfaction 60  and individual measures asking children and young people how happy they are with 10 different aspects of their lives (see Figures 2 and 4). 61  

The 2026 survey took place in April to June and collected responses from 2,031 children and young people from across the UK, as well as their parents or carers. Children and young people were sampled to closely match the make-up of the wider population on four criteria: age, gender, socio-economic background, and UK nations and regions. 62  The ad hoc module of questions focused on children and young people’s understanding of what constitutes their community, their sense of belonging in their communities and local areas, and their understanding of, and access to, trusted adults. 

UK Longitudinal Household Survey (known as Understanding Society) 

Understanding Society is a longitudinal survey that covers a large, representative sample of households across the UK. Following its predecessor, The British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) which had started in 1994, Understanding Society began in 2009 with around 40,000 households. 63  Data from Understanding Society are available through the UK data service, ukdataservice.ac.uk/. 

Understanding Society is a continuous survey with interviews held annually with adults and, for the youth questionnaire, a cross-sectional sample of children aged 10 to 15. Interviews take place at roughly the same time each year, with fieldwork running over a period of 24 months. The youth questionnaire includes core questions on children’s subjective wellbeing, together with modules on different aspects of children’s lives. The subjective wellbeing questions ask children how they feel about their life as a whole and five different aspects of their lives, including their schoolwork, appearance, family, friends, and the school they go to. 

Data from the latest survey, wave 15, were collected in 2023/24, when the youth questionnaire was completed by 1,435 children. This is the smallest youth sample size achieved by Understanding Society to date. As for all waves since wave 7 (2016/17), the youth sample included an Immigration and Ethnic Minority booster (IEMB) sub-sample, which aims to increase the representation of children from these groups in the overall sample through targeted recruitment. All data presented in this report include the full dataset for each wave, including the IEMB sample from wave 7.  64  

Young Advisors and peer research 

After a first successful collaboration for The Good Childhood Report 2025, The Children’s Society once again worked in partnership with Leaders Unlocked, 65  a social enterprise that enables young people to have a stronger voice and influence over the issues that affect their lives, to establish a group of Young Advisors to The Good Childhood Report 2026. 

Between March and September 2026, we worked with a group of 12 Young Advisors between the ages of 13 to 17 from across England, representing a diverse mix of characteristics and experiences. 66  The Young Advisors were introduced to initial scoping decisions made about the research project, and the results of a rapid evidence review on belonging. They worked with us through facilitated workshops to further explore this theme, refine the overarching research questions and prepare for the peer research. The peer research questions were co-developed with the Young Advisors, who were trained to conduct their own peer research focus groups, supported by Leaders Unlocked. This allowed them to gather insights from a broader range of young people, and to gain skills and experience in research methods. 

The peer research took place from May to July 2026 either in education settings or with other networks of young people facilitated by Leaders Unlocked. 67  Overall, the Young Advisors consulted with 98 young people across England. Within the various settings, an appropriate adult was identified and briefed to support the peer research, be available to manage any issues that arose from the discussions and provide assurance of safeguarding. The sessions were recorded and transcribed for the purpose of data analysis. The Young Advisors supported the data analysis and contributed to drawing together findings from the identified themes. 

The Young Advisors also shared their insights in order to support the development of our policy recommendations. 

Research with professionals 

Following the inclusion of a strand of work gathering the views of professionals for The Good Childhood Report 2025, this year’s research included two-stage research with professionals working directly with children and young people: 

• A mixed-methods survey was conducted in March to April 2026 with 31 professionals working in youth work/the third sector, education, health (including mental health), children’s social care, policing, or other sectors working with children and young people. The survey contained quantitative and open-text questions centred on the themes of children and young people’s sense of belonging to their local areas, and the role of trusted adults in supporting young people and their sense of belonging to their local area. The respondents’ areas of work represented a mix of urban, rural and mixed areas. 
• Semi-structured interviews took place in May to June 2026 with nine professionals, and focused on a further exploration of the themes covered in the mixed-method survey together with that of children and young people’s sense of belonging to their wider communities. Survey respondents could express their interest in taking part in these follow-up research interviews; interviews were conducted with seven survey participants, as well as two youth workers from one of The Children’s Society’s youth hubs. 68  

Milestones in the Good Childhood research programme. 

Table A. Mean scores presented in Figure 6, trends in children's (aged 10 to 15) happiness with different aspects of life, UK, 2009/10 to 2023/24. 

Source: Understanding Society survey, children aged 10 to 15, UK, weighted data (confidence intervals take account of design effects).  

Table B1. Males’ mean scores presented in Figure 7, trends in children's (aged 10 to 15) happiness with different aspects of life by gender, UK, 2009/10 to 2023/24. 

Source: Understanding Society survey, children aged 10 to 15, UK, weighted data (confidence intervals take account of design effect).  

Table B2. Females’ mean scores presented in Figure 7, trends in children's (aged 10 to 15) happiness with different aspects of life by gender, UK, 2009/10 to 2023/24. 

Source: Understanding Society survey, children aged 10 to 15, UK, weighted data (confidence intervals take account of design effect).

Sport England’s Active Lives survey collects data from both adults and children and young people. 69  The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey is an online survey delivered by Ipsos MORI. To date, eight survey waves have been published. The most recent wave covered the 2024/25 academic year and included a sample of 130,448 children and young people aged 5 to 16 across England. 

The analysis presented in this Appendix focused on 93,040 respondents aged 10 to 16. 70  It presents overall mean scores and the proportion of respondents who had low wellbeing for the ONS wellbeing measures. 71  Data is also presented on Active Lives’ measure of loneliness, which captures how often children and young people reported feeling lonely. We further analysed these wellbeing and loneliness measures by regions across England. 72  

Table C. ONS measures of overall wellbeing for children and young people aged 10 to 16, England, 2024/25. 

Source: Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, academic year 2024/25, weighted data. 

Note: Results for ‘How happy did you feel yesterday?’ include 10 to 16-year-olds; results for ‘Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?’ and ‘Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile?’ include 11 to 16-year-olds.  

Table D. Proportion of children (aged 10 to 16) with happiness scores below midpoint (0 to 4 out of 10) for ONS measures of overall wellbeing, England regions, 2024/25. 

Source: Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, academic year 2024/25, weighted data. 

Note: Results for ‘How happy did you feel yesterday?’ include 10 to 16-year-olds; results for ‘Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays?’ and ‘Overall, to what extent do you feel that the things you do in your life are worthwhile?’ include 11 to 16-year-olds.

Table E. Children and young people (aged 11 to 16) on how often they felt lonely, England, 2024/25. 

Source: Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, academic year 2024/25, weighted data. 

Table F. Proportion of children (aged 11 to 16) who reported being often or always lonely, England regions, 2024/25. 

Source: Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, academic year 2024/25, weighted data. 

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Chollet D. How Has Children’s Wellbeing Changed? Reviewing the Evidence from the Good Childhood Research Programme [Internet]. The Children’s Society: London; 2026 [accessed 2026 August 3]. Available from: childrenssociety.org.uk/information/professionals/how-has-childrens-wellbeing-changed-reviewing-evidence-good-childhood-research-programme. 

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The Children’s Society wishes to thank: 

• the Young Advisors to The Good Childhood Report 2026: Demi, Ihtishaam, Jan, Leandre, Marcin, Mubarik, Natalia, Sara, Subhaan, Sultan, Zainab, and Zohal, for contributing their time, energy, skills, passion and insights to the project, and for believing that change is possible 
• the young people who took part in the peer research for The Good Childhood Report 2026 
• the professionals who took part in the survey and/or the interviews for The Good Childhood Report 2026 
• the institutions that supported the Young Advisors to carry out their peer consultations: Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, Bolton College, Oasis Academy Enfield, Oasis Academy Lister Park, Oasis Academy Silvertown, School 21, Tormead School, University Hospitals of Derby Youth Forum, William Perkin's Church of England Highschool 
• Leaders Unlocked, who partnered with The Children’s Society in establishing the group of Young Advisors, facilitating our work with them and expertly supporting them throughout the project 
• the young people, and their parents and carers, who took part in The Children’s Society’s household survey 
• the University of Essex and the UK Data Service for making data from Understanding Society available  
• Sport England for giving us access to the Active Lives 2024/25 dataset and supporting our analysis work 78  
• Jasmine-Jade Pithers for project managing this report.  
• Dr. Amanda Clery for their contributions to analysing and quality assuring data presented in this report 
• Dr. Hayley Leonard, Nerys Anthony and Jack O’Neill for their contributions to editing the content of this report.