Study: Children and War – Every fourth child in the world has been directly affected by war (video)

The impact of war makes children worry more about all aspects of life, and more than 25% of them worldwide, the study showed.

Almost one in four children was directly affected by the war, and 67% were indirectly affected. This is evidenced by the results of the opinion poll “Childhood Protection: Dimensions of Safety for the Young Generation.” They will be presented in the Ukrainian capital as part of the fourth summit of first ladies and gentlemen.

During the study, experts conducted 9,000 interviews and surveyed 300 parents and 300 children from 15 countries – Ukraine, USA, Brazil, Lithuania, Japan, France, Iraq and others. First Lady of Ukraine Elena Zelenskaya noted:

“There are many dimensions to safety, especially children’s safety, and we specifically examined the main threats that all the world’s children face or may face, regardless of the country where they live.”

89% of children aged 13 to 17 know about at least one war or ongoing armed conflict, the survey found. Ukrainian children suffered the most from the hostilities – 99% of them were directly negatively affected by the war. This category also includes almost a quarter of children from all over the world who:

1. come from a country where there is war or conflict;
2. have a family member or friend at the front;
3. lost a family member or friend during the war;
4. have a family member or friend working in support of the country in war.

The war had the least impact on children from Japan – 4%. Among the countries participating in the sociological survey French children experienced the most indirect impact of the war, 86% of whom:

• know people living in a country where there is a war;
• have seen, read or heard about the war in the news, social networks, or the Internet;
• know a refugee from a country at war;
• experience side effects such as increased costs of goods and services;
• suffered in other ways.

“The indirect influence of the war is felt in the responses even in those countries where there is no war now. This proves what we in Ukraine often talk about: the war unleashed by Russia affects the whole world and all children,” emphasizes Elena Zelenskaya.

The study showed that a child directly affected by war experiences greater anxiety about all aspects of life compared to peers who did not experience such influence. This significantly increases the feeling of danger at home (by 78%), anxiety about one’s own appearance (42%), the number of friends (39%), and the feeling of danger outside the home (35%).

Eight out of ten children surveyed faced situations at school that threatened their safety and well-being. In this case, we are talking about bad behavior of students in the classroom, physical bullying, violent acts, and theft.

For almost half of Ukrainian children (44%), a threatening, anxiety-provoking situation during the educational process was the interruption of classes due to an air raid raid.

The dangers for children on the Internet worry 80% of parentswho took part in the survey. 8 out of 10 teenagers know at least one person who has been the victim of unpleasant situations online. A further 13% of children were blackmailed over intimate images, 16% received threats, and 21% experienced images of harm or suicide.

When assessing the problems that affect life during the survey, children most often put concern for mental health at the forefront, a little less – family and environmental problems.

The study was conducted by the international consulting company Catalyse Research together with BRAND UKRAINE, with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)commissioned by the Global Platform of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. The survey was conducted by online communication in local languages, during from 6 to 18 August 2024 year.

Previously, the Future Index study showed that 44% of Ukrainian children have signs of potential PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and 40% experienced bullying at least once a month.

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