Robbery, being followed by a stranger and becoming a victim of assault are just some of the fears that are turning youngsters into a nation of "deeply unhappy children", a charity in covers South Derbyshire has said.
The Children's Society's annual report, which surveyed 2,000 children and their parents, found that overall levels of happiness continued to fall every year.
Aside from their own safety, parental debt and money struggles are most destructive when it comes to children's happiness, the charity’s annual Good Childhood Report found.
One in three teenage girls were fearful of being followed by a stranger and one in four boys had concerns they will fall victim to assault.
According to the report, 24 per cent of children feared theft, 20 per cent feared being threatened with violence and 17 per cent were scared of being shouted at in the street.
The Crime Survey of England and Wales recorded 700,000 offences a year, estimating that 11 in every 100 children aged 10 to 15 were a victim of crime.
Data released as a result of the survey showed that fewer children were victims of crime compared to seven years ago.
Psychologists have said that social media plays a significant role in making children feel like they are in more danger than they actually are, and are encouraging youngsters to spend less time worrying about what could go wrong.
A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in East Midlands, which covers South Derbyshire, said: "It is clear from the hundreds of thousands of contacts Childline receives that we have a nation of deeply unhappy children.
"Low self-esteem and unhappiness were the most common reasons for young people to contact Childline in 2015/16, with 42,072 counselling sessions on those issues.
"We want young people to know that they have a place to turn to whenever they need it. They can contact Childline in confidence 24/7 on 0800 1111 or via www.childline.org.uk ."
