Hunger, Behaviour and Safety in Croydon’s Children: Why Nutrition Must Be Treated as Prevention

Croydon has a long history of community action, but new research from a local Master’s graduate has pushed an uncomfortable truth to the front of the conversation. Ellie Sandover’s dissertation, awarded First Class Honours, examined food provision and knife-crime prevention in Croydon. Her findings carry weight because they centre the lived experience of young people in our borough.

Her core message is simple and supported by decades of research from public health, psychology and safeguarding:

Hunger changes behaviour. Nutrition is prevention.

Young people spoke clearly about how food insecurity shapes concentration, decision-making and vulnerability. This aligns with evidence from the Food Foundation, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Public Health England which show that children living with food insecurity are more likely to struggle with regulation, engagement and stress.

You see the impact in classrooms.You see it in youth services.You see it when families are forced to choose between heating and feeding.

Ellie’s work highlights the following points.

• Hunger is not a side issue. It affects mood, problem-solving and the ability to manage difficult emotions.

• You cannot prevent youth violence without tackling poverty, housing instability and food insecurity.

• Food is missing in statutory safeguarding conversations despite being a core stabilising factor.

• Grassroots groups in Croydon already demonstrate strong practice by providing meals that create dignity and belonging.

• Rights-based food provision reduces stigma and increases access.

• Universal food support strengthens safety, stability and connection for young people.

This is not an “extra”. It is a structural intervention. When children eat well, they learn better and cope better. When they are hungry, the stress response rises and risky situations feel harder to avoid. Neuroscience and youth violence research continue to show this clearly.

A child who is hungry is operating in survival mode.A child in survival mode struggles to thrive.

Food in the home: a signal of care and belonging

In many Croydon homes, cooked meals mean far more than nutrition. Food is a signal of care, time and attention. When families sit together to share a meal, they share their day, their stories and their laughter. This is relational safety. It strengthens the bonds that hold children steady.

Food not only connects us to the present, but also connects us to our past. We pass on our ancestors’ favourite dishes and the stories that come with them. These moments root children in identity and culture, and remind them that they belong to something wider than the present moment.

Teaching children about nutrition and cooking together gives children skills, confidence and pride. It is a quiet way of saying, “You matter, and I want to teach you what I know.” Families bask in their assurance that they have the best cook living in their home. But even if the cook is pants, all up and down Croydon, families exclaim, ‘They are ours and turn every day with meals that still say they love us.’  It is claiming.   It is attachment/bonding. It is memory. It is a legacy of rich pictures.

Meals are not small things. They are daily acts of stability and love.

A call for action

• Make food security a safeguarding priority across schools, health and social care.

• Support universal, stigma-free food programmes.

• Back local organisations already feeding families.

• Treat nutrition as a core part of violence prevention.

• Listen to young people who are clear about what they need.

Croydon’s children deserve full stomachs, calm minds and the chance to focus on learning more than surviving. You cannot build safety on an empty plate, and you cannot talk about behaviour without talking about basic needs.

This is prevention.This is safeguarding.This is how we build a stronger Croydon.