“One day this could happen to me” – Children, nudification tools and sexually explicit deepfakes
The growth of the online world is a technological revolution, the likes of which hasn’t been witnessed in centuries. The internet has enhanced our lives immeasurably, by opening up education, communication and research in ways those of us who are now well into our adulthoods might never have imagined. For children growing up in 2025, […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on the proposed use of pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA) on children in Young Offender Institutions
As Children’s Commissioner, my top priority is for all children to be safe, happy and cared for. That just must include children in prison. I am deeply disappointed to see today’s plans to introduce the use of chemical irritant sprays such as pelargonic acid vanillylamide (known as PAVA) on children in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs). […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on Ofcom’s new Children’s Safety Codes
The Online Safety Act places a legal requirement on Ofcom to consult my Office about the Children’s Safety Code and I made it very clear last year that its proposals were not strong enough to protect children from the multitude of harms they are exposed to online every day. I am disappointed to see this […]
Looking back at the Festival of Childhood
Earlier this month I hosted my inaugural Festival of Childhood: Our Future, Our Voice at Young V&A to celebrate the joy of childhood and outline my vision to make England the best place to grow up. During the day I called on decision makers to listen to young people to make their lives and the […]
The Big Conversation Podcast – Episode 8 – Facing the Future, Festival of Childhood Panel Discussion
The Big Conversation: In conversation with the Children’s Commissioner and her youth Ambassadors is my podcast series where I share the voices and views of England’s children. The podcast draws on the themes in The Big Ambition and will focus on the most important issues that are impacting young people’s lives, with solutions developed with […]
The Big Conversation Podcast – Episode 7 – Building the Foundations, Festival of Childhood Panel Discussion
The Big Conversation: In conversation with the Children’s Commissioner and her youth Ambassadors is my podcast series where I share the voices and views of England’s children. The podcast draws on the themes in The Big Ambition and will focus on the most important issues that are impacting young people’s lives, with solutions developed with […]
Press Notice: Most headteachers restrict mobile phones in school hours – but major new survey shows online harms still among their biggest concerns
The vast majority of schools in England have policies in place that stop children using their phones during the school day, a major new survey shows. The first data from the Children’s Commissioner’s School and College Survey reveals 90% of secondary schools and 99.8% of primary schools already have policies in place that stop the […]
School phone policies in England: Findings from the Children’s Commissioner’s School and College Survey
Over the last four years, I have spoken to a million young people and thousands of parents about the most pressing issues facing children growing up in England today. One issue that comes up time and again – from children, parents, and professionals alike – is online safety. While digital technology provides young people with […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on action plan to tackle grooming gangs and sexual abuse
Responding to a Home Office action plan published on 8 April taking forward measures to tackle child sexual abuse and grooming by gangs, Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “Behind every shocking headline about grooming or exploitation is a child who has been failed and a system that has sidelined their experience and their […]
Business Plan, 2025-26
The year ahead – 2025-26 – will be my penultimate year as Children’s Commissioner for England. It will also mark 20 years since the establishment of this office – a milestone that offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made and a reminder about the many urgent challenges that remain. More than […]
Press Notice: ‘Crisis in childhood’ warns Children’s Commissioner, as she hosts inaugural Festival of Childhood – calling on decision makers to listen to children
Children are facing a ‘crisis in childhood’, the Children’s Commissioner will warn in a speech this morning, with many turning to the online world for answers as they feel increasingly ‘disconnected’ from society. Speaking at her inaugural Festival of Childhood: Our Future, Our Voice, hosted at Young V&A, Dame Rachel de Souza will urge adult […]
My Plan for the year, 2025-26
I’ve designed a version of my Business Plan aimed specifically for children and young people, sharing the projects and themes that my office will be working on. As Children’s Commissioner for England, it is my job to listen to you and take your voices to decision makers. In my survey, The Big Ambition, only one […]
Archived Content
Children will keep dying on our streets until there is a joined up public health response to gangs
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Saturday) publishing a report assessing how effectively existing infrastructure within local authorities is being used to deliver a public health approach to preventing gang involvement and youth violence. The Children’s Commissioner concludes that two years on from her last report into this issue and a year after […]
Detention of unaccompanied children arriving in Kent during 2020
This briefing looks at the immediate conditions unaccompanied asylum-seeking children faced after travelling to the UK, usually via boat, during 2020. Specifically, it focuses on the children who arrived at the Kent Intake Unit, where children’s identities are checked and their initial asylum claims are processed before they can be accommodated by local authorities. After […]
Our joint call on the government to include a statutory duty on local authorities to fund community-based services in the Domestic Abuse Bill
The Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, the Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, are jointly calling on the government to include a statutory duty on local authorities to fund community-based services in the Domestic Abuse Bill. In a joint statement, the Commissioners say: “It is vital that the government […]
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Children’s Commissioner’s podcast: Lockdown, school and football
In the second episode of the Children’s Commissioner’s podcast, Anne Longfield visits a school in South London where she talks to students about how the first coronavirus lockdown affected them, both at home and at school and what impact it had on their education and relationships. She also hears about a programme called Football Beyond […]
The state of children’s mental health services 2019/20
This is my fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England, and my last as Children’s Commissioner. I started this series of briefings because of the torrent of stories I was hearing from children about needing mental health services that weren’t there for them. I wanted to examine the data […]
Damage to children’s mental health caused by Covid crisis could last for years without a large-scale increase for children’s mental health services
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today (Thursday) publishing her fourth annual report on the state of children’s mental health services in England. The analysis examines the progress that has been made over the past five years as well as looking at the impact the Covid crisis has had on children’s mental health. The […]
Roadmap to reopening schools
Policy briefing Ever since last August, the Children’s Commissioner has said “Schools must be the last to close and the first to reopen.” This is now a well-used phrase as parents, teachers, scientists, politicians and the media all recognise the massive impact that the lockdowns are having on children’s education, and even more importantly, on […]
Our joint letter with Solace urging the PM to set-out a roadmap to reopen schools
The Children’s Commissioner and Solace have written a joint letter to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to set-out a roadmap for the reopening of schools to all pupils. *** Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to urge you to set-out a roadmap for the reopening of schools to all pupils. We welcome your personal […]
Too many at-risk children are still invisible to social care
Since March 2020 when schools closed at the start of the first national lockdown, more families have fallen into poverty and all the major risk factors to children – domestic violence, poor parental mental health, and alcohol/substance abuse – have heightened. At the same time there has been a significant fall (by 10% compared to […]