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Anja Heilmann

@anjaheilmann.bsky.social

Associate Professor in Dental Public Health at UCL. Oral health, health inequalities, life course epidemiology. I also work on the impact of physical punishment on children.

17 Posts401 Follower 527 Folgt

Richard Hurley @rich-hurley.bsky.social · 3w ago

Child physical punishment globally: ineffective & harmful. New @bmj.com #Editorial 129 countries, eg England, lack smacking bans. By @anjaheilmann.bsky.social @rebeccalacey.bsky.social @ucliehc.bsky.social LS Holland & ET Gershoff www.bmj.com/content/394/... #ChildHealth #EndCorporalPunishment

Anja Heilmann @anjaheilmann.bsky.social · 3w ago

Our @bmj.com editorial sums up why physical punishment should be outlawed everywhere: decades of research shows it harms children in numerous ways, it increases the risk of physical abuse, and it violates children’s human rights. There are no benefits. @ucliehc.bsky.social @nuffieldfoundation.org

The BMJ@bmj.com · 3w ago

"Physical punishment is universally harmful to children and ineffective as discipline." Children should have the same legal protection from assault as adults www.bmj.com/content/394/...

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We are receiving national media coverage for the new report, 'Physical punishment and child outcomes in the UK', with Principal Investigator @anjaheilmann.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Smacking children could lead to lower GCSE grades, study suggests

A University College London (UCL) study suggests that smacking children "does no good whatsoever".

bbc.co.uk

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · 2mo ago

** New report: Physical punishment of children is harmful and must be banned in England and Northern Ireland ** @anjaheilmann.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk @citystgeorges.bsky.social @nuffieldfoundation.org @nspcc.bsky.social Read the full report here: lnkd.in/eCDNKq5C

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Most of Britain thinks net migration is still rising — when it has actually fallen by more than three-quarters From our new 2026 @britishfuture.bsky.social study of public attitudes to immigration, published online here www.britishfuture.org/britain-thin...

Britain thinks net migration is rising — when it has actually fallen by more than three-quarters - British Future

Findings from British Future’s annual Immigration Attitudes Tracker reveal the extent of public misperceptions on net migration.

britishfuture.org

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · 3mo ago

We offer two scholarships for students undertaking the MSc in Dental Public Health (one for overseas and one for home students). Find out about the MSc Dental Public Health Aubrey Sheiham Scholarship, eligibility, and how to apply: www.ucl.ac.uk/population-h...

The MSc Dental Public Health Aubrey Sheiham Scholarship

The UCL Research Department of Epidemiology and Public Health offers two scholarships for students undertaking the MSc in Dental Public Health.

ucl.ac.uk

UCL Dental Public Health@ucl-dph.bsky.social · 3mo ago

‼️ Come to study with us! 👩🏻‍💻 📚 We are still accepting applications for the MSc in Dental Public Health for the 2026/27 intake, starting in September. See here to find out more, including how to apply: www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-...

Equalise: ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity @equalise.bsky.social · 4mo ago

New research shows that parenting programmes, like SFSC, work in improving parents' mental wellbeing 👉 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @ucliehc.bsky.social @yvonne-kelly.bsky.social @anjaheilmann.bsky.social @nihr.bsky.social

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a parenting programme to improve family wellbeing in England (TOGETHER): a multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial

Stark socioeconomic health inequalities exist in the UK, with families from ethnic minority backgrounds disproportionally affected. Robust evidence is…

sciencedirect.com

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · 6mo ago

‼️ Come to study with us! UCL’s internationally renowned MSc in Dental Public Health is the longest-running course of its kind in the UK 👩🏻‍💻 📚 To find out more, book your place at our open event: www.ucl.ac.uk/population-h...

Graduate Open Events: Public Health and Epidemiology

Explore Master’s degrees in Public Health, Epidemiology and Health Psychology. Join our virtual open events to meet Programme Directors and plan your next career step.

ucl.ac.uk

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · 6mo ago

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Upstream Interventions to Promote Oral Health and Reduce Oral Health Inequalities: A Scoping Review

Objectives This scoping review aimed to map global evidence on upstream interventions which promote oral health and reduce socioeconomic inequalities in oral health. Methods A review was undertake.....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🎙️ PODCAST REWIND 🎙️ Series 2 of our podcast Oral Health Matters is coming soon! So what better time to take a listen back to series 1, originally published in the Spring of 2024 🎧 Link to full episode in comments #DentalPublicHealth #Podcasting #AcademicPodcasting #OralHealth #Research

UCL News @uclnews.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Tooth decay has risen among adults in England for the first time in more than 50 years, finds a major survey by @uclpophealthsci.bsky.social academics including Prof George Tsakos and Dr Anja Heilmann, prompting calls for prevention strategies targeting sugar intake www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/de...

‘Alarming’ levels of teeth decay in England

Tooth decay in England is significantly worse than it was 16 years ago, shows a major national survey of England’s adult oral health involving UCL researchers.

ucl.ac.uk

Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 11mo ago

While the mainstream discussions are depressingly about *how* best to remove and stop immigrants, it’s a revolutionary act nowadays to say that immigration is actually a positive thing and an essential component of a thriving country, so please join me in doing so!

Anja Heilmann @anjaheilmann.bsky.social · 12mo ago

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Corporal punishment carries ‘multiple risks’ to children’s health, says WHO

An estimated 1.2bn children are subject to this ‘harmful practice’ each year, affecting physical and mental wellbeing, report finds

theguardian.com

Anja Heilmann @anjaheilmann.bsky.social · 12mo ago

www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/new...

Most parents believe physical punishment of children crosses the line

We’re calling on the government to change the law to end physical punishment once and for all

nspcc.org.uk

The Lancet @thelancet.com · last yr.

What's next for @who.int without US engagement? In a new podcast episode, Lancet editors reflect on developments at #WHA78, including the pandemic agreement and shifting dynamics in global health leadership. Listen now 👉 tinyurl.com/7xrhu3rm #LancetVoice

The World Health Assembly, adolescent health, and the pace of innovation - The Lancet Voice

Richard, Jessamy, and Gavin reflect on developments at the 78th World Health Assembly, including the passage of the pandemic agreement and shifting dynamics in global health leadership. What's next fo...

tinyurl.com

End Corporal Punishment @endcorppun.bsky.social · last yr.

Today Lords will debate an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing Bill to end physical punishment in England. We encourage peers to support this crucial amendment to give every child full protection in law from assault. It’s time to #EndPhysicalPunishment.

Anja Heilmann @anjaheilmann.bsky.social · last yr.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

My island of strangers: a poem | Michael Rosen

The prime minister warns that immigration could turn Britain into an ‘island of strangers’. Author and poet Michael Rosen responds

theguardian.com

Tanja Bueltmann @tanjabueltmann.net · last yr.

My letter to the Prime Minister. #immigration

Slightly amended so I can fit this here:

I am writing to you as an immigrant who chose to make the UK my home. As someone who is now also a British citizen. And as a German-born historian who understands where the complete normalisation of the far right can end. I write to say: For shame!

I first came to the UK in the 1990s for a visit with my grandmother. Objectively, much was backwards here. No mixer taps in the bathroom; awful ‘bread’; and strings had to be pulled to switch on lights. But however I felt about this, my own string had been pulled: I loved this Cool Britannia. It was quite possibly then that I decided that the UK was to be my home. When I arrived to settle here permanently, I made a choice: to contribute my skills, my knowledge—all I have to offer—to this country rather than another one.

I am deeply disgusted by your comment today that immigration has done ‘incalculable damage’ to the country.

This is the language of the far right. It is insulting, hateful & will fuel xenophobia. And it is just wrong.

Migration is a normal part of the human existence. None of us would be where we are without it. Open your fridge and you will see migration. Immigrants help make the UK tick every single day, whether we clean toilets in our hospitals or provide care for the elderly; whether we empty our bins or carry out cancer research. We are mothers, sons-in-law, aunts and uncles, friends, neighbours and colleagues.

I ask you not tell me that you do not mean me. I know that you do not—at least not primarily—mean a white woman from Europe who has a PhD. But who do you mean? And, much more importantly, who do you think those racists who were engaged in riots on our streets last summer think you mean?

Anti-immigration narratives have defined UK policymaking for the best part of two decades. And fundamentally so. They were the key driver in delivering Brexit, for example, and, as such, have directly limited the rights and opportunities of British citizens.

This obsessive focus on immigration as the ‘problem’—that is the real problem. And it is consistently delivering poor outcomes for the UK. Instead of tackling this, you are choosing to consolidate it, sowing divisions along the way.

You may point me to polling and tell me that this is what voters want. Do they? I am not surprised at all that over 50% of voters might say they want to see immigration reduced if that is the question they are being asked. What we need to know is what they would answer to the question: “Would you like to see immigration reduced? What this would mean for you and your local community is XYZ.” That is not how surveys can ask questions, but governments absolutely can choose to make policy using such a more informed position.

Prime Minister, you continue to talk a lot about making the tough choices. But let’s be clear: setting immigrants up as the ‘other’, as a scapegoat—describing us as a threat ‘pulling the country apart’, a ‘squalid chapter’, a risk that might make the UK an ‘island of strangers’—these are not tough choices at all. These are the easy choices. They are the choices that populists make who have no solutions to the real problems a country faces.

What I would like to know, Prime Minister, is what you will do when your policies lead to the implosion of the UK’s Higher Education sector. What you will tell communities when they can no longer provide any care for the elderly.

The policies you announced today will not solve anything at all. They will have exclusively negative impacts. For those immediately affected; for our communities; and for our economy.

Being pro-immigration—it is progressive, yes, but the much more crucial point is that it is also the most pro-UK policy approach that any politician in the country can pursue. And you are choosing to do the opposite. This, Prime Minister, is the real damage—and it will be very calculable indeed.

Tanja Bueltmann

The BMJ @bmj.com · last yr.

"The bill is the first child centred draft legislation in over a decade, and this opportunity must not be lost." Amend the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to protect children from assault, @drandrewrowland.bsky.social www.bmj.com/content/388/...

UCL Dental Public Health @ucl-dph.bsky.social · last yr.

👏 Huge congratulations to our brilliant Yanela Aravena Rivas @yanelaaravena.bsky.social who this week passed her PhD with no corrections! 🎓🥳🎉 Her thesis examined the impact of the Chilean governance system on sugar consumption in the country, and her examiners were extremely impressed by her work.

ISPCAN @ispcan.bsky.social · last yr.

40 countries make first-ever joint statement on corporal punishment to the Human Rights Council.👏 🔗 endcorporalpunishment.org/first-hrc-jo... #endcorporalpunishment #riseuptoendchildabuse

Jess Asato MP @jessasatomp.bsky.social · last yr.

The evidence is clear: physical punishment doesn't work, and is instead linked to poorer mental health, substance misuse, antisocial behaviour, and slower cognitive development. It isn't punishment - it's abuse. @rcpch.bsky.social @nspcc.bsky.social @barnardos.org.uk @childrenscomm.bsky.social

Equalise: ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity @equalise.bsky.social · last yr.

The threat of violence to children should no longer be given legal cover. The time for change is now! childofourtimeblog.org.uk/2025/03/phys... @anjaheilmann.bsky.social @yvonne-kelly.bsky.social @nspcc.bsky.social @uclnews.bsky.social @ucl-dph.bsky.social @ucl.ac.uk @jessasatomp.bsky.social

Physical punishment harms children’s wellbeing – the time to act is now

Physical punishment is the most common form of violence against children and a major concern from both children’s rights and public health perspectives. The United Nations Committee on the Ri…

childofourtimeblog.org.uk

Jess Asato MP @jessasatomp.bsky.social · last yr.

Alongside @EllieChowns.bsky.social I have tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing Bill which would introduce equal protection from assault for children. As Prof Andrew Rowland says: "Now is the time for this Victorian-era punishment to go." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Doctors back total ban on smacking children in England

Smacking is legal in some cases in England and Northern Ireland, but is banned in Scotland and Wales.

bbc.co.uk

Dr Ellie Chowns MP @elliechowns.bsky.social · last yr.

“Our amendment is simple: children should have the same legal protections from assault as adults.” Proud to work with Jess Asato MP on a joint op-ed advocating for the abolition of the 'reasonable punishment' defence. Read our full piece here: www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

End the legal loophole for physically punishing children

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a vital piece of legislation that will help ensure all children get the best start in life, driving th...

politicshome.com

Jess Asato MP @jessasatomp.bsky.social · last yr.

Physical punishment is outdated and harmful. It's time we change the law to get rid of the 'reasonable punishment' defence of assault and battery on children. @elliechowns.bsky.social and I for @thehousemag.bsky.social 👇 www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

End the legal loophole for physically punishing children

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a vital piece of legislation that will help ensure all children get the best start in life, driving th...

politicshome.com

Annette Dittert @annettedittert.bsky.social · last yr.

I have never seen anything as disgusting as that. Genuinely no words.

Chris Baraniuk@chrisbaraniuk.com · last yr.

BBC News now has the footage on their live page - you can rewind slightly to the beginning of the broadcast from the Oval Office if need be. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6...

Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · last yr.

I will never forget the photo of Zelenskyy’s face after he saw Russia’s war crimes in Bucha in 2022. He seemed to age years in an afternoon. Watching him constantly cross the world asking for aid that should have been thrown at him is one of the deepest shames of our age.

Zelenskyy’s face after he saw Russia’s war crimes in Bucha in 2022. The agony in his face…he looks overwhelmed with disbelief at the sheer cruelty.

Musa Okwonga@okwonga.bsky.social · last yr.

Zelenskyy went into that nest of vipers and roasted them all. Good. They all exposed themselves, they demeaned themselves in a way that was undeniable. Perfect.

Barnardo's @barnardos.org.uk · last yr.

Scotland & Wales have acted—England must not fall behind. We urge MPs to back the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill amendment to #EndPhysicalPunishment. (2/3)

Barnardo's @barnardos.org.uk · last yr.

MPs, experts & advocates met to push for a vital change: ending the legal defence that allows parents to use physical punishment on their children, also known as the “reasonable chastisement” defence, to ensure children in England have the same protection from assault. (1/3)