Category: English

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Allen, Animal Geographer, Keele University

Dog theft can be a devastating crime. During the COVID pandemic, newspapers suggested there was an epidemic of “dognapping” in the UK. If you have a dog, the reports may have alarmed you at a time when there were already many reasons to feel afraid.

There are mixed views on whether or not lockdown triggered an increase in dog ownership. Animal welfare charity Battersea attributed a 53% increase in dog adoption to lockdown, and online pet adoption service Pets4Homes said in their 2022 report that demand for puppies rose 104% at the peak of lockdown in May 2020.

But animal charity PDSA said its survey data pointed to a gradual increase in dog ownership since 2011 rather than a dramatic surge during lockdown. However, we do know lockdown saw inflated prices for dogs, with some fashionable breeds going for £9,000.

In terms of criminal activity, social distancing restrictions seemed to lead to a decline in some forms of crime, including shoplifting and burglary. But many media outlets reported the number of dog thefts had increased up to 250% during the pandemic.

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We wanted to explore if the data supported claims of a dognapping epidemic and whether patterns in dog theft could suggest ways to help reduce it. Our recent study found new insights into dog theft patterns and showed the situation was more complicated than it seemed at first glance.

Under the Theft Act 1968, dog theft is not a specific offence. It comes under other theft offences, such as burglary or theft from a person.

This means police records on dog theft were not included in crime statistics. The only way to access such information is through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to individual police forces. There are 45 territorial and three special police forces in the UK, and each has its own reporting and recording practices.

Although police FOI data for dog theft must be approached with caution, it is useful. Previous studies exploring police FOI data found an upward trend in recorded dog thefts in England and Wales: rising nearly 20% from 2015 (1,545) to 2018 (1,849) for 41 police forces combined; and up 3.5% year on year from 2019 (1,452) to 2020 (1,504) for 33 police forces.

DogLost, a UK online community for reuniting lost and stolen dogs with their owners, reported a 170% increase in stolen dogs (with Crime Reference Numbers) registered on their website in 2020 (465), compared to 2019 (172). This figure was widely quoted as a national increase “since lockdown started” by the media.

The 250% increase figure first quoted in December 2020 was actually a comparison of two seven-month periods (January-July 2019 and 2020) for only one police force.

Patterns and trends

Our study found the data for the period covering the COVID pandemic is also incomplete. Data was provided by 32 forces (71%) for 2020, by 27 forces (60%) for 2021, and 23 forces (51%) for 2022.

Patterns and trends do, however, emerge. Between 2020 and 2022, the available data shows a 3.7% rise in dog thefts in the UK, from 1,573 to 1,631. When making adjustments for the number of police forces providing data (which decreased over the period), the estimated national figures suggest there may have been more significant rise of up to 44.2%.

While we cannot assume that the forces who supplied data are representative of all 45 regional forces, if this were the case, it would equate to 2,212 recorded dog thefts in 2020, 2,645 in 2021, and 3,191 in 2022.

There was a lot of variation between different areas. For example, Cambridgeshire, Gwent and Northumbria police forces experienced increases of 36%, 49% and 80% respectively in the number of recorded dog thefts between 2020 and 2021.

Monthly analysis of data from regional police forces and DogLost, show that the number of reports of stolen dogs started to go up when the UK entered its first national lockdown and again during part of the third lockdown. But the average number of police-recorded dog thefts was actually slightly higher outside of lockdown periods than during them between 2020 and 2022.

However, in contrast with police trends, DogLost data shows a 65.2% drop in dogs reported stolen on DogLost’s website in 2022 compared to 2020. Lower DogLost numbers may reflect limited visibility or presence of their networks, the use of alternative lost and stolen dog services, or reluctance to share personal details online due to scams targeting dog theft victims.

Our study found that, overall, there probably was an increase in dog theft from
2020 to 2022, following already identified increases in the preceding years. This rise was probably driven by a combination of opportunity (more dogs, higher value) and situational factors (accessibility, dogs unattended in gardens while owners were inside).

Our evidence does not support the notion of a widespread epidemic as portrayed by the media. However, increased media interest probably amplified awareness of the issue, and influenced the creation of the Pet Theft Taskforce, a UK government initiative set up in May 2021 to investigate and tackle dog thefts.

New research appears to confirm the idea that dog abduction has significant welfare effects on both dogs and their owners. We also know that few dog thefts are successfully resolved, with under a quarter of stolen dogs likely to be returned and around 1%-5% of reported dog thefts result in someone being charged.

However, there is potential good news. Our ongoing research suggests the number of police-recorded dog thefts decreased slightly in 2023, and again in 2024. This is supported by research from pet insurer Direct Line, which has estimated a 21% decrease in the number of stolen dogs from 2,290 in 2023 to 1,808 in 2024 in the UK.

Daniel Allen is founder of Pet Theft Reform and patron of the Stolen and Missing Pets Alliance (Sampa).

Melanie Flynn is a member of the Research Advisory Committee of the Vegan Society (UK).

John Walliss does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Dog thefts: what really happened during the COVID pandemic – https://theconversation.com/dog-thefts-what-really-happened-during-the-covid-pandemic-252061

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alice Martin, Head of Research, Work Foundation, Lancaster University

Plans to cut health-related benefits in the UK continue to give the government political grief – as well as being a huge worry for claimants. Underpinning the controversy are government plans to move more people into work with a long-term ambition of 80% employment.

But cutting welfare costs is a blunt and unhelpful way to face the challenge of increasing employment among people with long-term health conditions.

For people with fluctuating and often invisible conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), welfare and work are not opposed. They are usually part of the same life journey – one that is rarely linear and requires systems and supports that are flexible, not punitive.

This was the focus of a recent study led by my research colleague Aman Navani and the MS Society. It is a major UK survey of people with MS with more than 1,100 respondents, and highlights systemic failures in workplace support and welfare systems.

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Because of its fluctuating nature, MS can act as an important case study to understand how work should accommodate people’s evolving health needs. It also offers lessons that are relevant to a wide array of other conditions.

Cases of MS are rising globally. Around 150,000 people in the UK live with the condition, which affects the central nervous system and causes pain, mobility problems, cognitive issues and fatigue.

Women are more likely to have MS, which is usually diagnosed in people in their 30s or 40s. These, of course, are peak working years.

The vast majority of people with MS (96%) who participated in our study reported that their condition has affected their ability to work. This is because MS can make commuting and navigating workplace environments challenging, and physical and mental health impacts often overlap.

Managing symptoms such as cognitive changes, pain and restricted mobility can contribute to anxiety and depression. All of these things put additional strain on the working lives of those affected.

For a quarter of respondents (24%), MS had such a severe effect that they felt unable to work at all. Worryingly, one in two people said they have compromised their health by staying in a job.

For many, leaving work is the only solution they can see. More than one-quarter (26%) cited unmanageable workloads, 19% could not afford to stay in work due to low pay, 20% lacked flexible hours, and for 22% the flexibility they were offered did not meet their needs.

Just 8% said their employer helped them adapt their job to suit their health, and only 2% had progression opportunities tailored to their condition. But nearly half (45%) of those who left work said they could have stayed if their employer had understood their condition better.

Almost half (46%) of respondents who were in work had used the personal independence payment (Pip) as a lifeline. This is an allowance that helps people with the extra living costs associated with having a disability. Under the government’s plans, conditions will be tightened for new claimants.

Designing better jobs

Living with a fluctuating condition requires constant adaptation, from coping with exhaustion to managing the extra time and cost of daily activities. As such, the way jobs are designed matters.

A government report has said that one-quarter of those who are out of work and claiming health and disability benefits might be able to work if they could do so from home.

The rise of remote and hybrid work has indeed been a lifeline for some disabled workers. A recent major study of people who are classified as disabled highlights just how vital this change has been for them: 85% said remote or hybrid work was essential or very important when job hunting, and 79% wouldn’t apply for roles without it.

Among those working fully remotely, 64% said their physical health improved. Homeworking was valued by those with fluctuating conditions such as MS, and for disabled women and carers in particular, full-time homeworking was their preference.

But these gains are precarious. Growth in hybrid roles has stalled and some employers are grabbing headlines with “return-to-office” mandates even at the risk of losing key members of their workforce.

Nearly one in four working-age people in the UK are disabled. Work and welfare must be designed from the perspective of this growing and diverse cohort – ensuring financial security for people with health conditions, both in work and out of work.

Expanding and protecting access to secure and flexible jobs is key, including remote and hybrid roles, baking these models into more sectors of the economy. The government could lead by example with public sector workers, and protect jobs from knee-jerk employer mandates.

In January this year, only 3.8% of vacancies on the Department for Work and Pensions jobs portal included an option for hybrid or remote work.

Finally, it’s vital to improve job design and in-work support, with effective occupational health systems, consultation with workforces, normalising shorter working weeks and time off.

This would enable people with fluctuating conditions to attend appointments, recuperate and even take career breaks without harming their careers. For this, the UK needs a benefits system that supports movement in and out of work, avoiding financial cliff edges.

Too many people with MS and similar conditions who can and want to work are forced to leave jobs early due to inadequate support. They face a trade-off between progressing their working life and managing their health. The challenge for government and employers now is to remove this tension.

Alice Martin works for the Work Foundation think tank at Lancaster University, which received funding from MS Society to conduct the research.

– ref. People with MS and other fluctuating health conditions are often forced to quit their jobs when they want to work – https://theconversation.com/people-with-ms-and-other-fluctuating-health-conditions-are-often-forced-to-quit-their-jobs-when-they-want-to-work-259083

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Elisha Wise, English, University of Sheffield

In chapter seven of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar (1963), protagonist Esther Greenwood imagines her life branching out before her like a green fig-tree. Each individual fig on the branches represents a different “wonderful future” – a family, a successful career, romance, travel, fame, etc.

High-achieving Esther has innumerable figs she can choose from, yet she envisages herself “starving to death” in the crook of the tree because she can’t make up her mind on which of the figs she should choose.

Her indecision stems from the knowledge that choosing one wonderful future means losing out on the other, equally appealing opportunities. She wants to experience all of them, but knows she cannot, and, in the end, spends so long deciding that every single fig rots and falls to the ground, dead.

By wanting to do everything, Esther misses her chance to do anything at all. This is a metaphor about wasted potential, fears of choosing the wrong pathway, and feeling rushed into making decisions before you truly know what you want. There is little wonder that it appeals to teenagers.

The “fig tree analogy”, as it is known online, is beloved by gen Z and has become a TikTok staple over the last three years. It was first discussed on the platform as part of the 2023 “Roman Empire” meme, with female users citing it as an example of something they constantly think about.

It then reached a new peak in early 2024 thanks to the “my fig tree” trend, in which users (again, predominantly young women) wrote future hopes and dreams onto a stock image of a fig branch in videos featuring accompanying audio of the passage being read aloud.

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This trend was, in essence, a way for people to share their dream jobs – with career pathways as varied as “surgeon” and “influencer” sometimes appearing on a single branch. But it also allowed young users to express their anxieties about planning for the future.

In one video, “I can’t help but wonder if I’m going to be truly happy in [my chosen career] forever” is written beside a beautifully illustrated fig tree. I remember feeling this way myself when I read The Bell Jar for the first time in the middle of university applications and big life choices.

When you are young, it can feel like you have only one choice and can never remake it, which is why Plath’s words spoke to me then and seem to be speaking to hundreds now.

But why exactly is this metaphor resonating so strongly with gen Z?

The girls who are participating in the “my fig tree” trend are not subject to the same binary choice of marriage or career that Esther faced. It is now possible to have loads of lovers and then a husband and family, and neither disqualifies you from also being a “brilliant professor” or “amazing editor” or anything else you wish to be.

In The Bell Jar, Plath treats these things as distinct because they would truly have felt that way in Esther’s time of enforced purity and nuclear families. She was, after all, writing pre-second-wave feminism.

So why, in our fourth-wave feminist world, do women still feel their options are so narrow? It could be because women workers are disproportionately at risk of being displaced by AI, or because other TikTok sensations like the “trad wife” are promoting to young women the very purity culture that Plath rallied against.

Perhaps, for this generation, it really seems urgent to grasp hold of one fig before all are lost.

However, as the “fig tree analogy” goes more and more viral, it is at risk of being removed from its original context. The signs of this are already visible on TikTok, as the passage has in the last month been used to soundtrack #romanticisinglife content and promote fig-themed homeware at a garden centre.

It was also referenced in a recent episode of reality dating show Love Island, where it was incorrectly named the “fig theory” and not attributed to Plath.

All of this suggests that the passage has now reached an audience of people who have not read The Bell Jar and see the analogy more as some generic life wisdom than a literary device. Indeed, TikTok videos by self-styled philosophers encouraging watchers to pick any or every fig off the tree instead of being paralysed by indecision like Esther are gaining traction.

While these may prove helpful to Zoomers unsure about their future pathway, I feel that the conversation around this metaphor is increasingly overlooking the fact that Esther is unable to choose a fig because she is depressed.

The real meaning of the fig tree analogy

The Bell Jar may be a novel about coming of age as a woman, but it’s also, at its core, the story of a woman having a breakdown. In the pages preceding the “fig tree analogy”, Esther calls herself “dreadfully inadequate” and claims that “I was only purely happy until I was nine years old”.

So, in the context of the novel, the metaphor can be read as a product of depressive thinking. It is not meant to be a universal truth.

Instead, it represents the subjective thoughts of a narrator who feels herself a failure, despite her plentiful opportunities, because she is mentally ill. Turning Plath’s prose into a theory or philosophy or meme minimises its darker aspects, particularly as the popular TikTok audio that accompanies “fig tree analogy” videos often cuts off before the figs fall, due to the app’s preference for short content.

Some users may well have participated in the “my fig tree” trend without even realising that the quotation ends with Esther losing everything.

Perhaps it should be concerning so many young people relate to a narrator who becomes so overwhelmed by her conflicting ambitions that she attempts to kill herself. I certainly wonder how Plath would feel about her words now being treated as emblematic of a collective female experience. If nothing else, I am sure she would be disappointed at how little has changed in 60 years.

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This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Elisha Wise will receive funding from the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities (ARCH) from October 2025.

– ref. Sylvia Plath’s ‘fig tree analogy’ from The Bell Jar is being misappropriated – https://theconversation.com/sylvia-plaths-fig-tree-analogy-from-the-bell-jar-is-being-misappropriated-261597

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol

The late, great comedian Barry Humphries (of Dame Edna fame) once spoke whimsically about the health benefits of kale. Just one fistful, he joked, contained enough essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements to keep you in a sedentary position in the bathroom for two whole days. Apparently, it wasn’t tasty enough to justify a second helping.

In a world where “superfoods” are relentlessly marketed for their supposed ability to deliver all the nutrients we need, it’s worth asking: which vitamins really are essential? And aside from kale (which I actually rather like), what foods help us meet our daily needs?

Vitamin A

Let’s start at the top. Vitamin A – also known as retinol – is found in foods like eggs, oily fish and dairy products. It plays a crucial role in keeping your skin and immune system healthy.

But it’s probably most famous for supporting vision. Vitamin A binds with light-sensitive pigments in the rod and cone cells of your retina, helping you to see, particularly in low light.

A deficiency in vitamin A, though uncommon in wealthy countries, can lead to serious vision problems and even blindness. Another source of vitamin A is beta-carotene, found in colourful fruits and vegetables like carrots, peppers, spinach and pumpkin. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is why we associate carrots with seeing in the dark.

Vitamin B

The B vitamins are a family of eight different nutrients, each with its own number and role.

B1 (thiamin) helps the nervous system and aids digestion. People with chronic alcoholism are especially at risk of deficiency, which can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a serious neurological disorder that affects memory and movement.

B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin) support similar functions, while B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin) are essential for red blood cell production. A lack of either can lead to anaemia.

Folate is especially important in early pregnancy, helping to prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. That’s why it’s recommended for people who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

You’ll find B vitamins in everything from beans and legumes to meat, fish and dairy; a wide-ranging family of nutrients in a wide-ranging variety of foods.

Vitamin C

The go-to vitamin when we’re under the weather, whether from a virus or a hangover, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is known as the “healing” vitamin for good reason. It promotes wound healing, supports tissue repair and helps maintain blood vessels and bones.

A deficiency in vitamin C causes scurvy – a condition once common among sailors – with symptoms like fatigue, bruising, depression and gum disease.

Fortunately, vitamin C is found in many different fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. That’s why 19th-century British sailors were given limes to prevent scurvy, earning them the nickname “limeys”.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for bones, teeth and muscles. It can be absorbed through diet, especially from oily fish, eggs and meat, but your body also makes it in the skin, thanks to sunlight.

In the summer, most people get enough vitamin D from being outside. But in the winter months, diet and, if needed, supplementation become more important.

Deficiency is more common, especially in areas with limited sun exposure. It can lead to soft, weakened bones and symptoms like bone pain, fractures and deformities – including the classic bow-legged appearance. In children, this condition is known as rickets; in adults, it’s called osteomalacia.

Vitamin E

Often overlooked, vitamin E helps protect cells, supports vision and bolsters the immune system. You’ll find it in nuts, seeds and plant oils and it’s usually easy to get enough through a varied diet.

Vitamin F (Sort of)

Not actually a vitamin, “vitamin F” is just a nickname for two omega fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA). These essential fats support brain function, reduce inflammation, and help maintain healthy skin and cell membranes. Since they’re technically not vitamins, we’ll let them quietly bow out.

Vitamin K

No, you didn’t miss vitamins G through J: they were renamed over the years. But vitamin K is real, and crucial for blood clotting.

Deficiencies are more common in children, and can lead to bruising and bleeding that’s hard to stop. Supplements are effective and given after birth.

Most adults get enough through foods like leafy greens and grains.

And the winner is…

All these vitamins are important – and all are found in a wide range of everyday foods. But which single food provides the widest variety?

Kale, oily fish and eggs come in strong at second, third and fourth. But number one is: liver.

Yes, liver. The stuff of childhood dread and overcooked school dinners. But it’s also rich in vitamins A, B, D and K. So rich in Vitamin A, in fact, that it’s advised to eat it only once a week to avoid vitamin A toxicity, and not at all if you’re pregnant. Sometimes, you just can’t win.

Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The A to K of vitamins: what you need and where to get it – https://theconversation.com/the-a-to-k-of-vitamins-what-you-need-and-where-to-get-it-261209

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Glazzard, Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice, University of Hull

For children in England with special educational needs and disabilities, an education and health care plan (EHCP) is a central pillar of support. The government is due to set out its educational strategy for children with special educational needs and disabilities in the autumn, though, and has not ruled out scrapping ECHPs. Their removal would signal radical change in how the system works in England.

ECHPs are individualised plans that set out the needs of a particular child and the support they should receive – from education, health services and social care – in order have the best opportunity to thrive. But demand for ECHPs is soaring and providing support is proving financially catastrophic for local authorities.

One of the criticisms of EHCPs is that they prioritise providing children with individual models of support, rather than developing inclusive cultures within schools and within the broader education system. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has outlined a vision of building a system where more children with special educational needs and disabilities can attend mainstream schools.

But removing ECHPs leads to the possibility of children who need more specialist support missing out.

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To secure an ECHP, local authorities carry out a statutory assessment to determine whether a child’s needs warrant additional support. An assessment does not always lead to an EHCP, but if one is issued, it must outline how the child’s needs will be met and the additional resources needed to do so.

These resources might include funding to provide a child with a teaching assistant, funding for equipment and transport to school, or funding to go to a specialist school. This system of support helps school leaders ensure that children and young people have the right support, at the right time.

According to a report published earlier this year, the demand for EHCPs has risen by 140% since 2015. Recent data shows that there are 482,640 children and young people in England with an EHCP.

Many more children have special educational needs, but do not have an ECHP. These pupils are classed as receiving special educational needs support. The percentage of pupils with an EHCP has increased to 5.3%, from 4.8% in 2024. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs support has increased to 14.2%, from 13.6% in 2024.

Despite government investment of £10.7 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, a House of Commons committee report outlines that long waiting times for assessments, as well as to access support such as speech and language therapy, has led to parents losing confidence in the system.

Funding is allocated to each local authority from central government to fund provision in their areas. It is for local authorities, in consultation with their schools, to determine the individual allocation to schools. However, local authorities are struggling to meet the increased demand for EHCPs. Even when funding is allocated through EHCPs, it is not always sufficient to address the needs of those with complex needs.

And funding is not sufficient to meet demand. Local authorities have accumulated huge deficits due to spending exceeding funding, placing some at risk of going bankrupt.

Future plans

Bridget Phillipson has refused to be drawn on whether EHCPs will be axed. “What I can say very clearly,” she has said, “is that we will strengthen and put in place better support for children.”

Building more inclusive schools is obviously one way of achieving this vision. If scrapping EHCPs means less funding for children for special educational needs and disabilities, though, this cannot be the answer. Children need more support, not less, to enable them to thrive.

The solution is for the government to work out what models of inclusion work well in mainstream schools and to decide how these can be resourced and evaluated. Clarity is also needed on inclusion in mainstream schools can be measured in order to assess whether it is working.

Making more support in mainstream schools work also requires an adequate supply of knowledgeable, well-trained teachers. The government is prioritising this through revision to initial teacher education courses, with an emphasis on all teachers being teachers of special educational needs.

If the government doesn’t get this right, the result may be poorer educational and long-term outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. It may also lead to issues with teacher recruitment and retention in mainstream schools, particularly if teachers feel that they do not have the level of support in place that they need to meet the needs of their pupils.

Jonathan Glazzard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. What are education and health care plans and why are parents worried about them being scrapped? – https://theconversation.com/what-are-education-and-health-care-plans-and-why-are-parents-worried-about-them-being-scrapped-260622