On 21 April, MEE NL held an online symposium on vulnerable young people during the coronavirus pandemic. Before the symposium, 972 professionals completed questionnaires, and during the conference nearly 1,000 online participants completed polls. The respondents form a representative reflection of the sector as a whole and work, among other areas, in youth care, support services, education and community teams. MEE NL analysed the data and incorporated it into a monitoring report.
The main concerns
MEE NL identifies the following as the main concerns regarding vulnerable young people:
- the loss of school or daytime activities and, as a result, the absence of daily structure, leading to boredom, anxiety, worsening addiction problems, aggression and loneliness (59%);
- young people disappearing from view (54%);
- escalation in an unsafe home situation (48%).
The findings also show that the coronavirus measures make it more difficult for professionals to carry out their work and reach young people, while support is particularly urgently needed during this time:
- care professionals are making extensive use of digital communication tools to seek contact with vulnerable young people, but because direct contact is absent, young people disappear from the radar more quickly. Non-verbal signals are also missed when digital communication is used;
- 76% of those surveyed indicate that they cannot perform their work well enough using digital communication alone.
Vulnerable young people
Until now, efforts to combat coronavirus have focused on acute medical problems and older people. In this hectic situation, vulnerable young people have remained out of sight. However, coronavirus also has a major impact on vulnerable young people. This group includes:
- young people with limited cognitive abilities, often combined with behavioural problems in all areas of life;
- young people who are already in contact with a care professional but are now disappearing from view, and young people who need help now but are unable to take the step towards seeking help (on their own);
- young people with problems that remain invisible behind the front door and create unsafe situations from which they cannot escape on their own.
Download the MEE monitoring report ‘Vulnerable Young People During the Coronavirus Pandemic’.