Childhood trauma will rise in Scotland as a result of lockdown, says John Swinney

The Coronavirus pandemic is likely to result in a rise in young people suffering from “trauma” in Scotland John Swinney has said.

John Swinney says childhood trauma will rise as a result of the virus

Many will be left to deal with bereavement when they have no access to wider family support as a result of lockdown, the Education Secretary said in an appearance before MSPs.The shutdown of schools may also mean that harm being done to children is “concealed” which will lead to a rise in those being classed as vulnerable, he told Holyrood’s Education committee.“Some young people who were previously not viewed to become vulnerable will become vulnerable as a consequence of the experience around Coronavirus,” the Deputy First Minister said.“Many more young people will be exposed to bereavement and sometimes in circumstances where they do not have access – because of lockdown – to family support that would allow them to come to terms with that bereavement.“These are very real issues and we know from all the work we have done over the years on adverse childhood experiences that they can contribute to a position of trauma.”The shutdown of schools has also meant that it is now “more difficult” for the authorities to identify youngsters at risk from harm, Swinney said.Hub schools have been set up around the country for vulnerable youngsters to continue going to school, as well as the children of key workers.But there have been concern over low attendance levels. The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC) raised “major concerns” that only around 1% of “vulnerable” children were attending childcare hubs during lockdown.“There will be some greater problems arising as a consequence of Covid, which will affect the mental wellbeing, physical health and safety of individuals and we must be ready to address that, which is why the government has set up the Education Recovery Group (ERG) and why I’m involved in discussions with the third sector on the holistic support they can provide,” Mr Swinney added.