Youth Monitor Flanders (JOP-monitor) Nicole Vettenburg UGent, Youth Research Platform Belgium – Indicators of Child and Youth Well-being – 13 – 15 dec. 2009, Amsterdam

Youth Research Platform (JOP) An interdisciplinary cooperation between three research groups from different universities in Flanders -Tempus Omnia Revelat (VUB) (sociology) -Department of Social Welfare Studies (Ghent University) (educational sciences) -Research Group of Youth Criminology (K.U.Leuven) (criminology)

Part of the Policy Research Centre of Culture, Youth and Sports -started in 2003: Youth Research Platform => Flemish Minister of Home affairs, Culture, Youth and the Civil service -Since 2007: Youth Research Platform as ‘the Youth Policy Research line’ of the Policy Research Centre of Culture, Youth and Sports => Flemish Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation

Objectives 1.To make an inventory of youth research 2. To set up a youth monitor 3. International dimension

Inventory of youth research 1.to collect existing Flemish Youth research (since 2000) 2.Pdf-file of each study with: abstract, summary of the methodology, an overview of the results, etc.  Online Publication ‘Jongeren van nu en straks’ (2006)

Youth monitor JOP-monitor 1 ( ) -Postal survey – light version -N=2503 – respons = 48% bij 18-25j; 59% bij jarigen -Content questionnaire: several themes into 3C’s (see further) - conditions - convictions - conduct => Publication: ‘Jongeren in cijfers en letters’ (2007) (abstract in English: www;jeugdonderzoeksplatform.be)

Secondary analyses on existing databases  publication ‘Young people insite out (2009) (‘Jongeren binnenstebuiten’) Themes: -Democratic citizenship and gender differences -Significant others and well-being -Well-being at school -Feelings of insecurity and young people -Young people and Internet -Democratic citizenship and education types -Youth in transition => Abstract (english):

JOP-monitor 2 (2008) Fieldwork JOP-monitor 2 (12-30y) Postal survey (N= 3710) 4 memory letters Questionnaire: –2 versions: 12-13y and 14-30y. –Content: 3C’s

Content of the monitor Three C’s, nl. ‘Conditions’, ‘Convictions’ and ‘Conduct’. Conditons: the objective component. It covers the conditions in which two other aspects evolves. –Topics: social background, education, possession of media equipment, etc. Convictions: the social world of young people, their subjective perception and experience of their life- conditions and environment –Topics: school wellbeing, self-esteem, perception of relation with parents, media preferences, political preference, etc. Conduct: covers young people’s conduct and assesses reported behavior –Topics: political action, criminal behavior, media use, etc.

Questionnaire: –Closed questions. –Using scales, based on a five point-Likert scale ( have been used in previous studies) Examples: –Conviction School wellbeing Self-esteem Political interest Fear of crime Negative picture of the future –Conduct Leisure Political action

Self-esteem: –Brutsaert (1986) developed the self-esteem scale based on the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (1965) and the Revised Janis Field scale (Eagly, 1967). I am proud on who I am I think I am pretty ok I think I have some good qualities All in all, I feel like I am a looser

Negative picture of the future –The scale of the negative picture of the future is based previous research of Elchardus, Enhus et al (1984) and Winnubst (1975). I often see the future very cheerles It seems that I don’t have any goal in my life The future appears to me in hopeless sense I am sure I have a bright future in front of me I am excited for the future

Political interest: –The political interest-scale is designed to measure young people’s social participation (Smits, 2004). This scale is constructed because more traditional scales give a small internal consistency for political cynicism (Elchardus, 1999). I know more of politics comparing most people of my age. I am not interested in politics I have barely a clue of most political topics I have mostly an opinion when talking about political topics or problems.

Political action –This is based on the German Youth monitor (Deutsches Jugendinstitut, 1997), research on moral consuming of young people (Stolle, Hooghe & Micheletti, 2005) and a study organized by Freie Universität Berlin (2004) on political action on the internet. During the last year did you… Financed a good goal Signed a (internet) petition Bought a product because it is made in an environmental or animal friendly manner or because it is guaranteed it is made in good labor circumstances Maintain compulsering voting Talked about politics with friends, family, colleagues,… Boycotted a product because you have problems with that particular company, country, or the way the product is being fabricated

Reflections Definition of well-being: –Well-being convers various domains => results in different findings Further analyses to explore the descibed results in greater depth: f.e –small group who are not doing well on all the domains –Interaction affect: f.e. the less safe pupils in vocational and technical school feel themselves, the better they feel at school (in general education we find the inverse correlation (see figure)

Relation school well-being & feelings of unsafety: interaction-effect by type of education (secundary schools)

Thank you !