Generatie C: generatie coronavirus?
Ook al lopen kinderen weinig risico op gezondheidsproblemen door COVID-19, de gevolgen van de pandemie wegen des te zwaarder op hun schouders. The Lancet wijdde er dit weekend een editorial aan, dat we graag met u delen.
Een fragment:
‘Maltreatment of children, whether physical, sexual, or emotional, increases during times of conflict. Indeed, many metrics of child maltreatment have increased, including emergency department visits for serious injury and abuse hotline calls. Other effects of physical distancing and school closures, such as deterioration of routines or restricted peer social contact, could cause new or exacerbate existing mental health issues and enhance the risk of developing psychological disorders. […] The responsibility now falls to adult policy makers not only to replace what is missing – meals, vaccinations, and exams – but also to sustainably replace and extend the scaffolding, and to replenish the commitment to ensuring that the future for children and adolescents is worthy of them. Children and adolescents should be involved in the rebuilding at every step and allowed to decide whether Gen C will stand for something more than coronavirus.’