C1.2 Silent trauma of children facing the strictest lockdown in Europe

Spain has put into effect a nearly five-week-long confinement of most of its citizens in their homes, with some exceptions.

The confinement has led to increased levels of stress and anxiety in children, as well as obesity rates.

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has urged for children to be let out of their homes and for the government to relax the confinement.

Politicians of all stripes have echoed her call, as have hundreds of doctors, psychologists, and educators.

The Spanish government has said the lockdown is likely to stretch into mid-May.

The petition calling for children to be allowed outside has gathered over 54,000 signatures.

In some European countries, such as Italy, Denmark, and Norway, minors are now allowed to walk outside close to home with one parent.

Campaigners argue that the situation is particularly acute in Spain, where the dense layers of apartment buildings that sprawl across cities have left many of the country’s nearly seven million children without direct access to fresh air or sunlight.

Spain has so far fended off any push to relax the rules, advising caution in a country where multi-generational families are common.

Those who work with children say they have already seen a rise in anxiety issues.

However, campaigners say that this situation risks exacerbating existing inequalities.

Freire argues that the issue is fundamentally one of human rights, and that a society that doesn’t put its children ahead of everything - that doesn’t ensure their needs are met - is sliding back towards barbarism.