Slide 1 Asking children about their well-being. Developing a framework for identifying child-centred social indicators Toby Fattore, Commission for Children and Young People, Sydney, Australia Jan Mason, School of Social Sciences and Social Justice Social Change Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, Australia Elizabeth Watson, School of Social Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Australia

Slide 2 Funded by: New South Wales Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) and University of Western Sydney (UWS). Research Team: Cath Brennan Jan Falloon, Penny Irvine Ros Leahy Rachel Scott Ainslie Yardley

Slide 3 The research project Basis for project Need for children to define their well-being (Ben-Arieh & Goerge) Initiated by CCYP - framework for monitoring child well-being Research aimed to learn how children understand their well-being what factors they identify as contributing to their well-being

Slide 4 Epistemological approach Placed children centrally well-being a construct - differences depending on whom, when and where, defining children authoritative - qualitative methods lives in the present and aspirations for the future analysis to identify meanings

Slide 5 Methodology and methods Children co-constructors of knowledge Iterative process - engagement & dialogue 3 stages  group and individual interviews  graphic and project opportunities Children participated  stage 1 = 126; stage 2 = 95; stage 3 = 56  Aged = 8 to 15  Boys= 41 girls= 85

Slide 6 Attempted to bridge power imbalance  lengthy engagement process  loosely structured approach to interviews Analysis  iterative process  checked out interpretations  reflective team exercise

Slide 7 Well-being Diagram Security AgencyPositive sense of self EMOTIONAL / RELATIONAL WELL-BEING Activities Physical environment Social responsibility Material and economic resources Physical health Adversity

Slide 8 Children’s well-being: Emotional life central about both happiness and sadness both positive and negative dimensions relationships with others significant - relational and inter- subjective important relationships associated with experiences of security/agency/positive sense of self

Slide 9 Children’s well-being: Major themes (1) Positive sense of self an okay or good person positive recognition by others self-integrity time and personal space for reflection Importance of recognition claims & struggle for identity

Slide 10 Having Agency some control in own life possible within boundaries set by others a need to be able to negotiate boundaries Importance of situated and negotiated democratisation of everyday life Children’s well-being: Major themes (2)

Slide 11 Security - feeling safe fears impact on well-being personal safety fears global threats eg war and terrorism Feeling secure basic to engaging with life Children’s well-being: Major themes (3)

Slide 12 Other Themes (1) Activities - fun, freedom, competence Adversity in Lives - dealing with difficult times; resilience developed situationally and relationally Material and Economic Resources - emphasis on family resource sufficiency, emotional component

Slide 13 Other themes (2) Physical environments - significance for social relations Physical Health - prevention role of home (being healthy), curative role of health professions (dealing with illness) Social responsibility and Moral Agency - being a good person; personal, community and global, sense of own values

Slide 14 Developing Indicators of Well-being 1.incorporate well being and non well-being (+ive and -ive) dimensions) 2. take into account structural context 3. respond to challenge to involve children in –development of measures –application of indicators –monitoring –identifying implications for policy 4. respond to changes over time, place and culture

Slide 15 Conclusions (1) Well-being is about children’s emotional/relational lives complex and multi-faceted/contextual about negative and positive dimensions, understood in a holistic way

Slide 16 Conclusions (2) Policy implications new meaning to existing policy issues informs on existing issues draws attention to issues not in focus focus on children’s presents identifies interconnections between individuals and the social