Third of young survivors of Manchester Arena bombing 'have not received mental health support'

• Video report by ITV News journalist Sally Biddulph

A young survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing has told of how their tutor told them to "take the attack as a positive experience" because it would make them a "stronger person."

Their account features in a new report, released on the sixth anniversary of the atrocity, which has found a third of young survivors received no professional support after the attack.

It also found 75% of children and young people affected by the 2017 terrorist attack were psychologically injured by what happened to them.

The Bee The Difference report is a research project designed by and for young survivors of the arena attack in collaboration with UK disaster response charity the National Emergencies Trust and researchers at Lancaster University.

But 29% have never received any professional support in the six years since, and four in 10 of these say it was never offered to them.

22 people were murdered and hundreds injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his device in the foyer of Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.

More than 200 young survivors took part in the research for the report, all of whom were under 18 at the time of the attack, and some of whom were physically injured in the bombing.

The report reveals that while 93% of young survivors felt they needed support in the aftermath of the attack, 70% received no professional help within the first month and 31% received no professional help within the first year.

Yasmine Lee, a survivor of the Arena attack, says "things need to change".

While some of the professional help offered by teachers, counsellors and GPs was invaluable to survivors, some of it inadvertently introduced more trauma, research showed.

And some young people felt their experiences were not validated by adults in positions of care, and that their feelings and opinions were dismissed on account of their age.

One survivor told researchers: "The tutor told me that I should take the attack as a positive experience - that this 'hardship' would make me a stronger person.

"He said not many young people experience hardships nowadays. This felt totally insensitive so I didn't return."

The report makes a number of proposals for individuals and institutions to improve support for young survivors of terror.

The UK Government is expected to finalise the draft of a "Survivor's Charter" in the next few weeks that would guarantee key rights for survivors of terror attacks and is expected to include a guaranteed timeline for mental health support.

Dr Cath Hill, lead researcher at Lancaster University, said: "The findings show that the simple act of validating young people's views can make a huge difference to their wellbeing, and is something all adults in positions of care could be more mindful of should the worst happen again."

Lucy Jarvis hopes the findings of the report will help other survivors get the support they need if another terrorism attack were to happen in the future.

Mhairi Sharp, head of the National Emergencies Trust, said: "There has been a glaring gap in knowledge about how UK disasters affect children and young people.

"Six years after the attack almost one in four (22%) young Manchester survivors continue to receive psychological support today, according to the findings."

The Prince of Wales has praised the group's work and added his voice to their calls for change.

Dr Cath Hill, the lead researcher at Lancaster University, says her team are "so grateful" for Prince William's support.

He said: "The nine young and incredible minds behind this project, and the many more who have contributed, are an inspiration – turning significant personal challenges into positive change. 

"This report makes clear that young people who have experienced the trauma of terrorism have needs unique to their age. 

"These are minds that need the space to have their voices heard and feelings acknowledged. 

"We must listen to their stories now, in order to learn for the future. I look forward to seeing the change that it creates."

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