The well-being of children is as low as it was 20 years ago, according to an alarming new report from a children’s charity.

The Children’s Society has found that children’s happiness increased steadily from 1995 until 2010, after which it started to decline.

The report shows that girls and children who are attracted to the same or both genders are more likely to suffer from depression and self-harm than other children.

According to The Children’s Society, almost twice as many girls self-harm as boys, and nearly 50% of gay and bi-sexual children self-harm.

The charity also found that nearly a quarter of children receive non-stop comments and jokes about their appearance and they are also having to contend with outdated gender stereotypes.

Commenting on the report, vice chairman of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Children and Young People Board Cllr Roy Perry, said: ‘These alarming figures reinforce the urgent need to tackle the crisis in children’s mental health.

‘This is why we are calling for councils and schools to be given the funding to offer independent mental health counselling so pupils have access to support as and when they need it.

‘Councils across the country work hard to ensure children and young people can access the support they need, however with children’s services facing a £3bn funding gap by 2025, this is getting increasingly difficult.’