Fears of spike in youth crime and mental health issues due to pandemic 

Youth workers fear the Covid-19 pandemic will cause long-term damage to young people in disadvantaged communities, including mental health issues and a steep rise in antisocial behaviour and crime.

More than one in three (36%) of the workers have reported that years of positive work have been wiped out due to the pandemic. Many are also concerned about the impact of the loss of schooling and the resulting lack of morale and motivation.