Childhood is a time of dreams and carefree spirit, when the world seems vast and full of possibilities. But what if it turns into a trap of fear and pain? The war has brought with it many horrors that have had a particularly strong impact on children.
Every day they face a reality that deprives them of the right to a carefree childhood and forces them to live in a world dominated by fear, poverty, life uncertainty and stress, peer bullying, misinformation, and lack of attention from their parents. They are growing up in a world where care and support are becoming a luxury, and everyday difficulties are destroying their faith in themselves and the world around them. How can we, as adults, stand by while childhood turns into a real battlefield?
Childhood under the pressure of poverty
Childhood is supposed to be a time of carefree play, joy and discovery.However, for many children today, it is a time of fear and trial, where they have to face the painful realities of social inequality, bullying, poor education and constant stress. It is a world where children are forced to compete not only for attention and support, but also for their own dignity.
The war has hit the economy hard, and many families have found themselves in dire straits, losing their homes, jobs and stability.Children who grew up in such conditions are forced to struggle with a lack of basic necessities such as food, clothing and educational materials. They cannot enjoy their childhood because they face the brutal reality of survival every day.Poverty deepens the sense of isolation, when children feel they have nothing to offer in a world where material wealth often determines a person’s worth.
According to Save Ukraine’s research, the cost of the minimum set for a first-grader has increased 2.6 times over the past 10 years, which is not the case with the average income of parents who often face unemployment or are forced to hold down several jobs to be able to buy at least the most basic necessities.
According to a report by the Institute of Demography and Quality of Life Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Centre for Social Reforms, 40% of children live in families where the income per person is even lower than the subsistence level.
A survey conducted as part of the social project ‘Assistance in preparing for the cold weather for families with children affected by the war’ found that the vast majority of IDP families with children are in a difficult financial situation, living in housing that requires significant rent, which in turn affects their ability to provide conditions to meet the needs of their families. According to this survey, 82% of IDP families are unable to meet their educational needs on their own. More than 300,000 Ukrainian schoolchildren do not have laptops for distance learning.
Poverty is not only a lack of material wealth, it is a deep sense of injustice that causes a feeling of inferiority.Children living in poverty are forced to watch from an early age as their peers have better opportunities that are not available to them: modern gadgets, clothes, even simple access to quality food or education. This creates a sense of social exclusion and creates deep psychological trauma that often goes unnoticed.
Bullying: psychological violence that destroys the individual
Bullying remains one of the most serious problems of modern childhood.Stigma, ridicule and aggression at school are becoming commonplace for many children. The cruelty of teenagers often takes place in the shadow of adult attention, and the child who becomes a target feels total loneliness and hopelessness.The consequences of bullying can haunt a person for the rest of their life, turning childhood into a nightmare.
The study ‘Bullying and Tolerance in Educational Institutions after 24 February 2022’ found that 51.3% of Ukrainian schoolchildren admitted to having been bullied at least once in their lives.
According to the Save Ukraine charitable foundation, more than 100,000 children were evacuated during the full-scale invasion and about 500 children were returned from the Russian Federation and the TOT. Children who have survived the loss of their homes or displacement often become victims of ridicule and bullying from their peers because they are now called ‘strangers’ or ‘waiting’.This form of bullying leaves deep scars on the psyche of children who have already suffered from the war. They feel like outcasts, despite the fact that they have the same rights and needs as everyone else. The Russian language has become a pretext for harassment of those schoolchildren who moved abroad from Kharkiv, Kherson, Luhansk regions and the city of Kyiv, and those who moved from Kherson and Donetsk regions and live in Lviv region and Kyiv
The war has forced thousands of families to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad. Parents who once could plan their children’s future in peace suddenly found themselves in foreign countries, trying to find a new home and give their children at least a little bit of security.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as of October 2024, the number of Ukrainian schoolchildren abroad is as follows:
- in Ireland – 97% ;
- in Romania – 83%;
- in France – 69%;
- in Germany and Austria – 63%;
- in Moldova – 8%;
- Croatia – 16%.
- In the UK – 17%.
However, with rescue came new challenges. Life in a foreign country has its own difficulties, and adapting to new traditions and conditions has become a real challenge for both adults and children.Torn from their familiar world, children find themselves in an alien environment where everything seems foreign – language, people, rules. In the schools where they are supposed to study, they often feel alienated. They cannot find a common language with their peers, who do not understand them or, worse, do not accept them.Often, their origin and accent become a reason for ridicule and bullying. Children who were part of their society yesterday feel like outcasts today, not like everyone else.
Instead of building friendships and exploring the new world with enthusiasm, they face hostility and indifference.This creates a deep sense of loneliness and uselessness.
They become afraid of school and do not want to go there, because every day becomes a battle for survival in an environment where they do not feel like they belong. In the war, children have already lost so much – their homes, friends, and the usual rhythm of life. Now they have to lose again – this time their childhood. Anxiety about the future, adaptation to new conditions, misunderstanding and bullying make them strangers in the world they should call their new home. Lack of desire to learn, fear of peers and a sense of not belonging add to their already traumatised lives.
Poor quality education: lost opportunities
The educational system, which is supposed to provide children with knowledge and encourage them to develop, often fails to fulfil its function. Poor teaching, overloaded curricula and insufficient attention from bureaucratic teachers create an environment where children cannot reach their potential. In today’s world, where the competition for success is becoming increasingly fierce, poor quality education is effectively depriving a child of a future. Ukrainian schoolchildren are being held hostage by reforms that often do not take into account their real needs. Instead of helping children get a quality education and preparing them for life in the modern world, changes in the educational system often disorient students and teachers, turning the learning process into chaos.
Due to the war, many schools have been damaged or closed, and the educational process has been disrupted. Many children are forced to study remotely or do not have access to quality education at all due to the lack of stable internet connection. This creates a significant gap in knowledge and development opportunities. The lack of regular teaching and support from teachers deprives children of important skills needed for the future. For many, the war has effectively stolen the chance for a decent education, and with it, a better future.
The education system in Ukraine is constantly undergoing changes, but these reforms often seem chaotic and inconsistent. Constantly adjusting curricula without adequate training for teachers and students leaves students feeling confused. Lessons turn into a ‘race’ to master new requirements instead of a thorough understanding of the subject. The pandemic and the war forced the country to quickly switch to distance learning, but this transition proved to be extremely problematic. The lack of a systematic approach and unified standards for online lessons has made distance learning ineffective. Students often do not take this format seriously, and the quality of knowledge is declining.
Many teachers have not been trained to work with new technologies, which further reduces the level of the learning process.
Often, reforms are reduced to creating an external appearance of change: new tests, school rankings, an emphasis on formal results and NMT. This leads to the fact that students are prepared ‘for the grade’ rather than for the actual acquisition of knowledge. The huge workload on students who are forced to prepare for tests leaves no time to comprehend the material. Learning becomes mechanical, and the main thing is lost – interest in knowledge and the development of critical thinking.
Despite all the attempts to digitise education, many schools still lack adequate technical facilities or stable and high-quality internet connections, especially in rural areas. Digital education platforms are often poorly designed, making them inconvenient to use. Students face technical challenges, and teachers do not receive adequate support to effectively integrate new tools into their lessons. This creates a gap between the planned reform and the reality, where digital resources become another obstacle rather than a help.
In the course of educational reforms, teachers are given a huge responsibility for implementing innovations. They must not only teach, but also constantly update their knowledge, learn new methods and adapt to change. However, the reality is that many teachers do not receive adequate training or support to do so. As a result, teachers themselves are disoriented, which, in turn, has a negative impact on students. The learning process becomes routine, and teachers, exhausted by the demands of the reform, often lack the resources to be innovative in their teaching. The average salary of teachers is below the average income in Ukraine, which leads to staff shortages in schools. In the capital alone, there are currently 1,371 vacancies. And in rural areas, one teacher is forced to teach not only his or her own subject, but also those in which he or she is not an expert. And all this, of course, is not good for our children.
Living under constant stress
The worst thing is the constant fear that accompanies a child’s every day. Explosions, sirens, the sound of an aeroplane flying overhead – all of this becomes part of their lives. Children live in a constant state of anxiety, expecting something terrible to happen at any moment. They lose the sense of security that is fundamental to their normal development. In many cases, this fear turns into chronic stress, which can have long-term mental health consequences. Approximately 40% of children show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 75% of Ukrainian children have experienced psychological trauma due to the war. Stress negatively affects their learning and overall development. Currently, one in five children in Ukraine has a sleep disorder, and one in ten has memory impairment. Irritability and apathy are observed in 41% of students, and 39% have lost interest in learning altogether.
Parents who are struggling to survive themselves or who have lost loved ones are often unable to provide their children with the attention and support they need. As a result, children feel abandoned, even if they are physically close to their families. War forces parents to focus on basic needs – food, safety, shelter – and this deprives them of the opportunity to properly care for their children’s emotional needs. As a result, children are left alone with their fears and insecurities. Lack of emotional contact with parents can lead to anxiety and depression.
Poor medical care for children in times of war is another tragedy that we cannot ignore. Children, who already live in constant fear of sirens, explosions and the uncertainty of tomorrow, face yet another challenge – the indifference of a system that is supposed to protect them. They, the most vulnerable victims of war, do not receive proper assistance when they need it most.
Destroyed hospitals, lack of medicines, exhausted doctors – these are the realities faced by Ukrainian families who have found themselves in the war zone or displaced. Medical care for children is becoming an unaffordable luxury. When a child gets sick, parents often cannot find the right doctor or appropriate treatment, as the healthcare system is overloaded and there is a catastrophic shortage of medical staff. And even when they do find an opportunity to see a doctor, they are met with a terrible reality – a lack of equipment, medicines or time for a full examination.
It’s a double whammy: children’s physical illness is exacerbated by the emotional stress of not being able to get the help they need. At a time when their mental and physical health should be a priority, the medical system is barely functioning. Children are left with their fears, pains and traumas, which can develop into chronic illnesses or deep psychological wounds that will stay with them for life.
Psychological assistance is another major problem. Children who have experienced terrible events do not have access to quality support. Psychologists are not always available in schools, and those who are are often not prepared to deal with this scale of trauma. Sometimes children don’t even have the opportunity to talk to someone about their pain, being left alone with their fears. Meanwhile, the war continues to destroy their world and take away their childhood.
How children’s problems are dealt with in foreign countries
In different countries around the world, children’s problems such as poverty, bullying, stress, lack of quality education and parental attention are addressed in different ways, depending on political, social and cultural characteristics. For example, many countries have developed social assistance systems that help families overcome poverty and create opportunities for equal access to basic needs for children. For example, in Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the government offers parents significant financial support through government benefits, free education, medical care and long-term maternity leave. Children are provided with everything they need to develop, and families receive support in childcare.
Germany has a similar system of family support, offering ‘Kindergeld’ – financial payments for each child, which allows families to cope with childcare costs more easily.
Combating bullying is another important area of work in many countries. For example, Finland has implemented the world-famous KiVa programme, which aims to prevent bullying in schools. The programme uses a systematic approach that includes training teachers and students on how to recognise and respond to bullying. It has achieved significant success, reducing bullying by 40%.
In the United States and Canada, there are also national programmes that include online courses, trainings for teachers, students and parents to teach them how to deal with bullying, especially cyberbullying.
Some countries have developed educational reforms to address the problem of poor quality education.Finland is considered a leader in education due to its flexible approach to learning, with a focus on the individual needs of each student. Children are given more freedom to develop independently, and teachers are highly qualified and have access to ongoing professional development.
In Singapore, education is focused on the development of critical thinking and 21st century skills. They actively use innovative teaching methods to help children acquire quality knowledge and prepare for the future.
The level of stress among children is also becoming a global issue. Many countries are implementing programmes to help children deal with emotional stress.
The UK and Australia have national programmes to develop emotional literacy among children. Schools are actively engaging psychologists and conducting lessons on developing stress-resistance skills.
The United States introduces meditation and mindfulness programmes for students to help them manage stress and improve concentration.
However, the most important aspect of child well-being is to improve parents’ parenting skills. There are various initiatives abroad.
In Sweden and Norway, there are government support programmes for parents that include parenting training, emotional support and psychological preparation for parenthood. The aim of these programmes is to help parents better understand the needs of their children and respond more effectively to their difficulties.
France provides counselling services for parents, where they can get free advice from psychologists and social workers.
As we can see, many countries abroad are taking systematic measures to overcome childhood problems, including financial assistance, educational reforms, anti-bullying programmes and psychological support. These strategies can serve as an example for our country, so that every child has the opportunity to grow up in an environment where their rights and needs are taken into account at every stage of development.
How to save children from the trap of horrors
The war has given rise to many new fears for children, but they can be overcome through the joint efforts of society. Children are the most vulnerable victims of war, and our task is to do everything we can to protect them and give them a chance for a happy future despite all the challenges.
Children need professional help to cope with the trauma caused by war. Unfortunately, parents are often struggling to survive and cannot afford the services of a quality psychologist for their children. Therefore, establishing psychological rehabilitation and counselling centres in schools could provide equal access to psychological rehabilitation for all and help reduce anxiety and stress.
Obviously, first and foremost, the approach to childrearing needs to change. Society must realise that solving childhood problems is not only the individual responsibility of families, but also a social task. Families in need of help should know where to turn and feel social support from the state. Government programmes aimed at supporting low-income families can reduce child poverty and give children more opportunities for development.
Schools and parents should create a safe environment for children where they can feel secure. Psychological support programmes and training for teachers and students can help to address this issue.
Currently, education in Ukraine is undergoing significant reforms, which, unfortunately, do not contribute to the development of our children, but rather make it even more difficult for them to learn. It is necessary to change the approach to education, making it more flexible, interactive and personalised. Education should be not only accessible but also of high quality for all children.
Parents also need to learn how to interact with their children, taking into account their emotional and psychological needs. Emotional support from parents is key in the fight against stress in children.
Childhood is a time when a person’s future is shaped. If we do not pay attention to the problems faced by children, we risk raising a generation burdened with fears, anxieties and complexes. Therefore, each of us is responsible for ensuring that children are not deprived of a happy and peaceful childhood. Our childhood is the foundation on which the rest of our lives are built. When this foundation cracks due to poverty, bullying, stress and indifference, we risk losing not just one person, but an entire generation that will not see the light behind their fears. The current problems faced by children are a challenge for all of us. We cannot allow their dreams to be dashed because of social problems, lack of attention or the helplessness of the system. Every child deserves care, support and a chance for a better future. Today, our task is to return this right to them, so that their world can once again become a place for joy and faith in goodness.
