1. Assessing schoolchildren’s subjective well-being and how it is affected by being bullied
John Ivens
1st European conference – Emotional well-being in educational settings: Paris

2. Measuring Happiness in Children
Subtitle:
Measuring Happiness in Children

3. Children’s happiness – Why bother?
is a positively valued condition and therefore a desired outcome
may influence other outcomes such as learning and behaviour
is currently measured through its absence

4. Happiness - What is it? Philosophical models:
Utilitarian, pleasure and the absence of pain
Eudaimonia, a life of good fortune and disinterested occupation

5. Happiness - What is it?
“ [A] State of psychological well-being characterized by dominantly agreeable emotions”
ERIC (2002) < accessed on 10-May-02

6. Well-Being
“Condition of existence, or state of awareness, in which physical and/or psychological needs are satisfied”
ERIC (2002) < accessed on 10-May-02

7. Happiness - What is it? Adult Tripartite Models
Positive Affect
Negative Affect
Life Satisfaction
Self-referenced judgements
A comparative measure - self and others.

8. Children’s happiness – Do we know...
to what degree happiness is affected by adverse experience, such as being bullied? Do any effects lessen with time?
how happiness is related to a teacher’s perceptions of children's emotions concentration and behaviour?

9. The measure - ‘sCHI’ Children's Happiness Index
low reading age
simple response format
balanced positive and negative items
items designed to cover children from 8 to 15 years

10. Children’s happiness - the influence of time and place
Shared context - shared influences
Recent time frame - the previous week

11. The sCHI measure

12. sCHI - Properties as a measure: Reliability
Test-Retest:
n49, r = .722, p<.000, 2-tailed, 13 day interval
n97, r = .540, p<.000, 2-tailed, 10 mth interval
Alpha:
n390, = .876
n785 pilot, = .882

13. sCHI - Concurrent Validity

14. sCHI - Concurrent Validity SEM model: Proxy SWB as a predictor of sCHI Goodness of fit summary Probability value for the chi-square statistic = Bentler-Bonett nonnormed fit index (NNFI) = Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = s s s

15. sCHI - Concurrent Validity SEM model: Proxy SWB as a predictor of sCHI
Self-Esteem
sCHI+
SWB
sCHI
Depression
90%
Affect
sCHI-

16. What is Bullying? Definitions of bullying Most definitions include :
Repetitive-prolonged over time
An imbalance of power
May be verbal, physical or social
(Some also include –causes distress)

17. Group Differences in happiness (SWB): not bullied, bullied

18. Teachers’ Evaluations of Pupil Emotional, Behaviour and Social Difficulties using the SDQ
Group 1 =
Not Bullied
Group 2 = Bullied
Group 3 = Bully/Victims
Group 4 = Bullies

19. Teachers’ Evaluations of Pupils’ Prosocial skills using the SDQ
Group 1 =
Not Bullied
Group 2 =
Bullied
Group 3 = Bully/Victims
Group 4 =
Bullies

20. sCHI - Predictive Validity - Effects of Being Bullied on Happiness (sCHI) over Time CFI = 1 NNFI = .99 2 = .35 N95 s s s

21. sCHI - Predictive Validity - Effects of Being Bullied on Happiness (CHI) over Time
Bullied t1 6%
26%
Bullied t2
sCHI t2
36%

22. sCHI & Covariates No significant group differences on: Gender
Ethnicity
Lie/Social Desirability

23. The Association of CHI with Teacher-rated Pupils’ Strengths & Difficulties

24. Happiness and Positive Psychology
“The new field of Positive Psychology is about how normal people might flourish under benign conditions – the thriving individual and the thriving community. Positive Psychology changes the focus of psychology from preoccupation with repairing the worst things in life to building the best things in life.”
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25. What next? What promotes children’s happiness?
How does children’s happiness influence : behaviour, learning, relationships?