Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and figures
- Acknowledgements
- one Perceptions of childhood
- two Collecting the evidence
- three What’s it like being a child?
- four Growing up, becoming an ‘adult’
- five Influences, controls, and protection
- six Status and respect
- seven Getting along together
- eight A child-friendly society?
- nine Making things better for children and adults
- ten Findings and messages
- References
- Index
- Also available from The Policy Press
two - Collecting the evidence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 January 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables and figures
- Acknowledgements
- one Perceptions of childhood
- two Collecting the evidence
- three What’s it like being a child?
- four Growing up, becoming an ‘adult’
- five Influences, controls, and protection
- six Status and respect
- seven Getting along together
- eight A child-friendly society?
- nine Making things better for children and adults
- ten Findings and messages
- References
- Index
- Also available from The Policy Press
Summary
Two new surveys were carried out for this report to provide up-todate information on young people's and adults’ attitudes to growing up in England. These two surveys are referred to as the school survey and the adult survey.
The school survey
The main purpose of the school survey was to collect views from children and teenagers of all ages on what it is like to be a child in England, and how older and younger generations seem to get on together. To compare what young people and adults say on these matters, many questions were similar to those included in the adult survey.
The questionnaire
Two versions of a short self-completion questionnaire were developed, for children at primary schools and at secondary schools. The questions in the two schedules were very similar, but some were phrased differently to make them more suitable for the age group in question. The only question that older, but not younger, children were asked was the age at which young people should take responsibility and achieve independence in various areas (see below). These questions did not seem appropriate for children as young as 7 to 8 years in Year 3.
The main areas covered in the questionnaire for children were:
• Background information (gender, ethnicity, school year, and household members).
• Whether or not England is child-friendly (are adults friendly to young people of their age? do they feel welcome in places like shops, restaurants and leisure centres? what would they do for young people of their age if they were Prime Minister? do they think England is a good country to grow up in? do adults enjoy seeing children playing in their neighbourhood?).
• Doing things with adults (do parents and other adults usually enjoy spending time with children and young people of their age? do children and young people of their age usually enjoy spending time with parents and other adults?).
• Being polite and showing respect (primary school level children were asked whether children of their age are polite enough to adults and whether adults are polite enough to them; secondary school level children were asked a similar question but in relation to respect rather than politeness).
- Type
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- Information
- Children These Days , pp. 15 - 26Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2006