Secondary school students in England are “substantially more likely” to be regularly mocked by peers compared with those in other countries, research shows.
Teenagers in this country are also more likely to be bullied, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank.
And the proportion of young people who are satisfied with life has fallen by nearly 20 percentage points since 2010, says the report out today.
The researchers analysed responses from more than 175 young people and their families, including data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa).
They concluded that growing up in England “has become more pressured, more isolating and less enjoyable”.
The Pisa data shows that around a fifth of students in England report being made fun of at school “at least a few times a month”. Across countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the figure was 12 per cent.
The IPPR says students in England also report “greater exposure to bullying overall”.
Fears for students’ wellbeing
Just 44 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds in England are satisfied with their lives, down from 62 per cent in 2010, according to the research.
In England’s most deprived areas, this proportion fell from 55.9 per cent to 34.7 per cent over the same period.
The report says this is “further evidence of the everyday experiences contributing to a growing crisis in wellbeing and life satisfaction”.
After analysing survey responses, researchers said that school, exams and work are “frequently” mentioned as pressures and stresses facing children and young people.
Selecting GCSEs and A levels, sitting exams and progression after school were all listed as “worries” for young people, the researchers added.
The proportion of children who say they are very or quite worried about their exams has risen from 28 per cent in 2019 to 43 per cent in 2025.
“This isn’t just regular exam anxiety. Data shows that children in England are becoming more worried about getting good grades in school,” the report says.
Just 63 per cent of students in England said they feel they belong at their school – well below the OECD average of 75 per cent.
The findings come after the government promised in its schools White Paper that all schools will monitor pupils’ sense of belonging by 2029, with only 60 per cent of schools currently doing so, according to the government.
Conor Carleton, children and young people expert at IPPR, said: “Life satisfaction and belonging have fallen off a cliff for young people in England.
“Fewer and fewer feel safe, supported or connected to the people and places around them – and fewer still are getting to enjoy being young in the first place.”
Mr Carleton said the findings are not indicative of a “minor wobble” and called on ministers to put belonging “at the heart of their plans for children”.
The IPPR plans to provide a full report, with new analysis and policy recommendations for young people, in the autumn.
