life events and children’s subjective well- being larissa pople the children’s society...
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Life events and children’s subjective well-being
Larissa Pople
The Children’s Society
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Background and research aims
• Existing evidence suggests that adverse life events are linked to lower SWB for children.
• Our research confirms that children’s SWB has both static and dynamic components.
• We wanted to explore: • How important life events are for children’s SWB and in comparison to other factors (e.g. socio-demographic, personality etc) • The role of internal/external buffers (e.g. self-esteem, sense of control, wealth & supportive relationships)
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
2008 survey: life events
• Our 2008 national well-being survey of 7,000 10 to 15-year-olds found a number of links between life events and SWB.
• Well-being was significantly lower among CYP reporting: • Being bullied • Changes in family structure• Changes in home, school and local area (but these differences were small)
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
2008 survey: bullying
“How often, if at all, have you been bullied in the last year?”
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
7.67.2
6.5
8.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Never Hardlyever
Sometimes Often
Overa
ll w
ell
-bein
g (
0-1
0)
2008 survey: family change
“Were you living with the same adults this time last year?”
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
6.8
7.8
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Yes No
Overa
ll w
ell
-bein
g (
0-1
0)
2010 survey: 20 life events
• Our 2010-11 survey included 20 new questions about life events. These were put to 2,400 10 to 15-year-olds and asked about positive/negative events relating to:
• School• Friendships• Outside of school/neighbourhood
• Response categories: “Has not happened” “Happened once” “Happened more than once” “Not sure”
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
2010 survey: positive events
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Positive events Happened(at all)
Gender differences(More likely to happen to..)
You got a really good mark in a test or exam 92% Boy
You did really well at an activity at school (like sport, music, drama, etc)
91% NS
You got praised by a teacher 90% Girl
You made a new friend 88% NS
You did really well at an activity outside school (like sport, music, drama)
81% NS
You got an award or prize for something you did at school
71% NS
2010 survey: negative events at school
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Negative events at school Happened(at all)
Gender differences(More likely to happen to..)
You got told off by a teacher 86% Boy
You got a really bad mark in a test or exam* 73% Girl
You got into trouble at school 70% Boy
You felt treated unfairly by a teacher 68% Boy
You did really badly at an activity at school (like sport, music, drama)*
53% NS
You got a detention 50% Boy
2010 survey: negative events outside school or with friends
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Negative events relating to friendships or outside school
Happened(at all)
Gender differences(More likely to happen to..)
A close friend had a serious problem* 64% NS
You had a serious argument with a close friend 64% NS
A friend that you trusted did not keep a secret 64% Girl
You stopped being friendly with a close friend 52% Girl
You broke up with a boyfriend/girlfriend 45% Boy
You were pressured by friends to do something you did not want to do
40% Boy
You were bullied or picked on by other young people 38% NS
You felt treated unfairly by an adult in your neighbourhood
34% Boy
2010 survey: changes at school, home and within the family
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Questions included in 2008 survey Happened(at all)
Gender differences(More likely to happen to..)
You moved house in the past year 18% NS
You moved local area in the past year 10% Girl
You changed school in the past year 9% Girl
You were living with different adults this time last year
9% NS
2010 survey: gender differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You got into trouble at school
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Has nothappened
Happenedonce
Happenedmore than
once
A girlA boy
2010 survey: gender differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You got a detention
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Has nothappened
Happenedonce
Happenedmore than
once
A girlA boy
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Life event Age differences(More likely to happen to…)
You were bullied or picked on by other young people Year 6s(aged 10 & 11)
You got an award or prize for something you did at school Year 6s(aged 10 & 11)
You were pressured by friends to do something you did not want to
Year 6s(aged 10 & 11)
You got a detention Year 10s(aged 14 & 15)
You got into trouble at school Year 10s(aged 14 & 15)
You got a really bad mark in a test or exam Year 10s (aged 14 & 15)
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You were bullied or picked on by other young people
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Has not happened Happened once Happened morethan once
Year 6
Year 8
Year 10
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You got an award or prize for something you did at school
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Has not happened Happened once Happened more thanonce
Year 6
Year 8
Year 10
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You were pressured by friends to do something you did not want to do
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Has not happened Happened once Happened more thanonce
Year 6
Year 8
Year 10
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You got a detention
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
Has not happened Happened once Happened more thanonce
Year 6
Year 8
Year 10
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You got a really bad mark in a test or exam
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%
Has not happened Happened once Happened more thanonce
Year 6
Year 8
Year 10
2010 survey: age differences
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
You felt treated unfairly by a teacher
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
30.0%
35.0%
40.0%
45.0%
50.0%
Has not happened Happened once Happened more thanonce
Year 6
Year 8
Year 10
2010 survey: correlations between life events and SWB
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Life event Spearman’s rho
You did really badly at an activity at school (like sport, music, drama etc) -.245**
You felt treated unfairly by a teacher -.237**
You got a really bad mark in a test or exam -.221**
You stopped being friendly with a close friend -.220**
You felt treated unfairly by an adult in your neighbourhood -.211**
A close friend had a serious problem -.207**
You were pressured by friends to do something you did not want to do -.199**
You were bullied or picked on by other young people -.194**
You got a detention -.186**
You had a serious argument with a close friend -.185**
2010 survey:correlations between life events and SWB
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Life event Spearman’s rho
You got an award or prize for something you did at school .181**
A friend that you trusted did not keep a secret -.176**
You did really well at an activity at school (like sport, music, drama etc) .167**
You did really well at an activity outside school (like sport, music, drama etc)
.152**
You got into trouble at school -.146**
You broke up with a boyfriend/girlfriend -.146**
You got told off by a teacher -.143**
You got praised by a teacher .142**
You got a really good mark in a test or exam .131**
You made a new friend NS
2010 survey: correlations between life changes and SWB
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Change Spearman’s rho
Were you living with the same adults this time last year? -0.129**
Have you changed school in the past year? -0.074**
Did you live in the same local area a year ago as you do now? -0.063**
Have you moved house in the past year? -0.041**
2010 survey: life events with greatest differences in SWB
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
7.06.2
7.5
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Has nothappened
Happenedonce
Happenedmore than
once
Overa
ll w
ell
-bein
g (
0-1
0)
“You were pressured by friends to do something you did not want to do”
2010 survey: life events with greatest differences in SWB
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
7.06.2
7.5
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Has nothappened
Happenedonce
Happenedmore than
once
Overa
ll w
ell
-bein
g (
0-1
0)
“You felt treated unfairly by an adult in your neighbourhood”
2010 survey: life events with greatest differences in SWB
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
7.16.3
7.5
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
Has nothappened
Happenedonce
Happenedmore than
once
Overa
ll w
ell
-bein
g (
0-1
0)
“You stopped being friendly with a close friend”
2010 survey: factor analysis
Factor analysis identified four separate factors:
1. All the positive events
The negative events relating to:
2. Friends, bullying and adults in the neighbourhood
3. Getting into trouble at school 4. Doing badly at school
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
We combined these two factors
2010 survey: regression analysis
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011
Factor Beta Significance
Age -0.092 0.001
Gender 0.130 0.000
Positive events 0.320 0.000
Negative events at school -0.212 0.000
Negative events with friends & outside school
-0.236 0.000
Adjusted r2 0.207
Conclusions
• Our research confirms that life events - particularly negative events - at school, outside school, at home and with friends are associated with children’s SWB.
• Some, but not all, of the life events that we explored had significant age and gender profiles.
• Further research: • The links between personality and life events• Explore other life events, and in different areas of children’s lives • The role of internal/external buffers in mediating the impact of life events
International Society for Child Indicators Conference, 27th July 2011