1. Interviewing children and young people in Growing Up in Ireland
Aisling Murray and James Williams

2. Objectives and Funding
to study the lives of children in Ireland
what is typical and normal as well as what is atypical and problematic
to establish the effect of early child experiences on later life
to obtain children’s views and opinions on their lives
input to evidence-informed policies and services for children and families
Wholly funded by Department of Children and Youth Affairs in association with the Department of Social Protection and the Central Statistics Office
Carried out by a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College – Study Team

3. Key Themes Health Socio-emotional School/ cognitive
Use of health services
Physical measurements
Health
Socio-emotional
School/
cognitive
Illness and injury
Diet and exercise
School environment
Behaviour
Family relationships
Cognitive development
Temperament
Home learning
Self-concept
Peer relationships

4. Two Cohorts Running in Parallel
Structure of GUI
Two Cohorts Running in Parallel
Child Cohort: Wave
Infant Cohort: Wave
8,500 9-year-olds
11,100 9-month-olds
Parents, teachers, principals
Parents
Children: Attainment tests, interview, physical measurements
Children: Physical measurements
Wave 2: Aged 13 years
Wave 2: Aged 3 years
Parents, principals
Children: Attainment and cognitive tests, interview, physical measurements
Children: Cognitive tests, motor tests, physical measurements
Wave 3: Aged 5 years
Children: Cognitive tests, physical measurements

5. Sampling Child Cohort: Wave 1 2007 Infant Cohort: Wave 1 2008
8,500 9-year-olds
11,100 9-month-olds
Random sampling of primary schools
Random sampling of Child Benefit Register
All children of target age if <40; random sample if >40
1. Consent from school
1. Consent from parents (written)
2. Consent from parents (written)
3. Assent from children (written)
Targeted information sheets for all participants
New written consent at each wave

6. Sampling
Child Cohort
Infant Cohort

7. Child Protection ID cards Police vetting of interviewers; references
Intensive training
Ethics, signs of child abuse, what to do if the child discloses something to you, role play
ID cards
Interviewers not allowed to be alone with any child for any length of time
In parents’ information sheets; ‘policy’ reminder card if objections from parents
Emergency telephone number for interviewers to contact study team about immediate concerns
Incident reporting system for all concerns
Children [and parents] were told that information would be kept strictly confidential unless they told us something that made us worried about them

8. Components in Infant Study
Non-resident Parent
Primary Caregiver
Main (CAPI)
Sensitive (CASI)
Weight
Height
Secondary Caregiver
Child
Head circumference (Wave 1 only)
Cognitive tests (Waves 2 and 3 only)
Home-based component
Non-parental care

9. Interviewing Children – Infant Cohort
No direct interview of the younger cohort as yet
Physical measurements (all waves) and cognitive tests (aged 3 and 5 years)
Training for taking physical measurements
Never risk child’s health and safety
Do not make physical contact without permission
Cognitive tests
Training videos
Emphasis on standardised administration of the tests
Monitoring of child welfare during tests
Pilot phase indicated a need for directions in dealing with attentions of young children

10. A child’s view

11. Components in 9-Year Study
Non-resident Parent
Primary Caregiver
Main (CAPI)
Sensitive (paper)
Weight
Height
Secondary Caregiver
Child
Sensitive 1 (paper)
Parenting Style inventory
1-day timeuse diary – postal return
School-based component
Home-based component
Principal
School questionnaire- characteristics of school
Piers Harris II – self concept
Reading test
Maths test
Teacher-on-self
Characteristics of teacher
Teacher-on-pupil
Teacher report on child
Non-parental care

12. Interviewing Children – Child Cohort (9 Years)
First interviewer contact with children was in the school
Academic achievement tests and self-concept scale administered in a group-setting by the interviewer in the school
Home phase
Often, but not necessarily, same interviewer from school phase
Parents interviewed using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview), with sensitive questions self-completed on paper
9-year-olds interviewed on CAPI for main interview but self-completed two/three ‘sensitive’ supplements on paper
Parent always in the room but at a distance if possible
Appropriateness of wording and relevance of topics reviewed by a child focus group: ‘Children’s Advisory Forum’

13. Structure of 9-Year Child Interview
Child Main Questionnaire – administered by interviewer
Attitudes to school and teachers
Food consumption
Activities of previous week with parents
Computer use, sports, exercise
Likes and dislikes, fears etc.
Child Sensitive Questionnaire – self-complete, with audio assist
School and teachers
Bullying victim and perpetrator
Sibling relationships
Parenting Style Inventory – self-complete, with audio assist
Responsiveness and demandingness subscales of PSI-II for Mum, Dad, Mum’s Partner or Dad’s Partner as appropriate
Blank copies of all questionnaires shown to parent(s)/guardian(s) in advance if requested

14. Interviewing Children – Child Cohort (13 Years)
New challenges with 13-year-olds!
Challenge #1
Dispersed to different secondary schools
No longer one ‘core’ teacher
Disruption caused by taking pupils out of class to sit tests
Issue in pilot with teenagers not wanting to be ‘singled out’ from their class because of being in the Study
Solution: All components completed in the home, except for a questionnaire to school principals
Challenge #2
Hugely increased time burden within the home
Solution: Use two laptops so child and parent completion can take place in parallel

15. Components in 13-Year Study
Non-resident Parent
Primary Caregiver
Main (CAPI)
Sensitive (CASI)
Weight
Height
Secondary Caregiver
Child
Main (CASI)
Sensitive 1 (CASI)
Parenting Style inventory (CASI)
1-day timeuse diary – postal return
School-based component
Home-based component
Principal
School questionnaire- characteristics of school
Piers Harris II – self concept
Reading test
Maths test
Teacher-on-self
Characteristics of teacher
Teacher-on-pupil
Teacher report on child
Non-parental care
Child
Piers Harris II – self concept
Reasoning test
Cognitive test

16. Components of 13-Year Visit
Study Child
Child Main Questionnaire – self-complete on Laptop #2
Child Sensitive Questionnaire – self-complete on Laptop #2
Parenting Style Inventory – self-complete on Laptop #2
Cognitive / Reasoning test (verbal reasoning and numerical ability plus matrices subscale British Ability Scale) – completed with interviewer
Parents (Primary and Secondary Caregiver)
Main Questionnaire – face-to-face interview on Laptop #1
Sensitive Questionnaire – self-complete on Laptop #1
Physical measurements
Height and weight of Study Child
Weight of parents (and heights if not available from first interview)

17. Timing of components at 13-Year Interview
Time-saving
Timing of components at 13-Year Interview
Set-up, consents, etc 20 mins
Laptop #2
Laptop #1
Child self-complete interview
46 mins
PCG main interview
56 mins
Child completes test booklet
25 mins
PCG sensitive self-complete
10 mins
SCG main
17 mins
SCG sens
Physical measurements 10 mins
Child completes matrices test with interviewer 15 mins
Total time in household with two laptops 2hrs 20m
Estimated total time with one laptop 3 hrs

18. Practicalities
Interviewer did example questions with 13-year-olds first
User-friendly; worked well in the field
Increased privacy for study child
Parent consented to content of questionnaires in advance for all households but could not see completed interview
And possibly for parents . . .
Child allowed to take laptop#2 to another room but not away from the household
Laptops did not “talk” to each other
Household ID and date of birth allowed for central matching
Children with literacy problems could use an audio assist for sensitive questions, and CAPI for main
Dual laptop solution also facilitated a longer interview with the study child

19. Topics Covered at 13 Years
Child Main Questionnaire
Attitudes to school, teachers, engagement, homework time, subjects etc.
Time spent watching TV, video games, reading
Computer usage
Friendship networks and peer relationships
Perception of parental control (monitoring and supervision subscales)
Pocket money
Diet and physical exercise
Home chores
Child Sensitive Questionnaire(s)
Attended relationships and sexual education course in school?
Discussed sex / relationships with parents
Delinquent behaviours scale
Smoking, drinking, drugs
Parenting Style inventory

20. Interviewing children requires balance . . .
Child Protection
Research Quality
Participant Relations
Fieldwork Feasibility