Children’s beliefs about fairness and the future
Children and young people are feeling increasingly disenfranchised and disenchanted about their prospects. Failure to act could see Generation Z turning away from mainstream democratic politics.
Last month we launched our Inequality Knocks report, which summarised the findings of an expert roundtable convened by the Fairness Foundation with the Future Threats Lab and the Policy Institute at King’s College London. The roundtable asked experts to identify the potential risks that wealth inequality posed to UK society, and how these harms could be mitigated. Our group of experts agreed that, without substantial measures to reduce wealth inequality and its effects on society in the near term, we could see a further deterioration of the fabric that keeps society together. Our institutions are weaker, public services are decaying, and people’s trust in the government has been eroded.
These trends will only get worse if wealth inequality - and the harms that it causes to our society - continues to rise unchecked. It will weaken our societal resilience in the face of new threats, such as pandemics, extreme weather events, or emerging technologies, reinforcing inequalities and the harms to our society. The recent WEF Global Risks Report, which surveyed over 900 experts globally, agreed that economic inequality is both a driver and an effect of other hazards. Inequality is a threat to society, both here in the UK and globally, and the risks will increase further if we do not act to mitigate them.
But action is lacking. A lack of strategic vision by government, a culture of short-termism in politics and the wider economy, and our collective failure to take seriously the harms of such inequalities mean that the fairer, more prosperous society that most of us want feels increasingly like an impossible dream.
Things become even starker when we focus on younger and future generations. Children and young people today, and the unborn, have had no agency in creating this society. They will, however, have to live with, and attempt to fix, its numerous problems. We clearly have violated the principle of sustainability set out in the Brundtland Commission (1972), that we have to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service announced recently that 2024 was another record-breaking year for global warming. In the UK, three in ten children live in poverty. All the while, children’s voices are not heard in policymaking processes. Their interests and values are not meaningfully represented, and younger and future generations are effectively disenfranchised.
Children want to see change. Research by the Children’s Commissioner suggests that children do want to live in a fairer society, in ways that match our own Fair Necessities framework: in a safe environment, in a society that is tackling child poverty and ensuring equal access to opportunities. As part of the Big Ambition Survey, the Commissioner asked children across the country about their beliefs on fairness and empowerment. Children wanted to feel like they could play a role in shaping their futures:
“Promoting equal opportunities and reducing inequalities among children and young people is crucial. Everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed, regardless of their background and upbringing. By working together, we can create a brighter future for all children and young people.” – Girl, 15.
Unsurprisingly, children from marginalised groups were less likely to report that they felt they were treated fairly:
A closer look at children’s responses to The Big Ambition’s questions on the topic of fairness reveals that certain groups of children feel they are treated less fairly than others – predominantly, black children, children from mixed backgrounds, children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and children with a social worker were less likely to feel like they are treated fairly or like they have the same opportunity as other children.
Despite wanting to live in a fairer society and to have an active role in creating it, very few children (22%) felt that their views were represented in political decision-making. Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, summarised the issue:
Children and young people are aware of how decisions made by politicians now will affect their lives in the long-term future. They believe that their futures being at stake should be sufficient reason for politicians to consult them to ensure that they are able to express their opinions and share their ideas. Some are frustrated and worried when considering how political decisions will impact them when they are adults. They share that they are aware of the responsibility to take part in creating a better world and want more education on the political landscape of their country so they can meaningfully contribute.
Similar frustrations were reported by children who took part in the riots in 2024. Through interviews with some of the children who were charged, the Commissioner’s report on the riots finds that children wanted to see progress on poverty and opportunity. They wanted to avoid exploitation and crime, some distrusted the police, and many were led by adults to participate. This is not to excuse ‘bad behaviour’, but it does show that we need to take their experiences and interests seriously. If we don’t, we risk keeping them trapped in a society that doesn’t work for them, and generations to come. And this will be bad news for all of us. Recent polling for Channel 4 showed that almost half of 13 to 27-year-olds agreed that “the entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution”, while over half thought that “the UK would be a better place if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections”.
These views are not inevitable, but we have to change the trajectory that we’re on. If we choose to leave children and young people in a state of socio-economic and ecological precarity rather than addressing their needs and interests, we shouldn’t be surprised if they voice increasing support for strong leaders and change by any means necessary. We cannot allow our children, and their children after them, to suffer the consequences.
Last week we published a joint statement on the need to focus on intergenerational solidarity in 2025, with the School of International Futures and United For All Ages. You can read it below.
We also published a response to the Chancellor’s growth speech: