Scottish school pupils provide snapshot of today’s youth

Perthshire and Glasgow school pupils have provided a unique snapshot of today’s youth by taking part in the first study of its kind in Europe. The study, ‘Developmental Assets: A Profile of Your Youth’, was designed by the Search Institute in Minneapolis who have surveyed over three million youngsters in North America during the last 15 years.

Conducted by the Perth and Paisley branches of the YMCA, the results, which were unveiled at a conference in Perth last week, illustrate a wide range of the attitudes of today’s Scottish youngsters. The YMCA-commissioned study was completed by over 5000 pupils of mixed gender, aged between 12 and 17, within six schools in Perthshire and four in the Glasgow (Paisley) area.

The 156 multiple-choice questions covered everything from the importance of telling the truth and how much encouragement pupils receive at school to pupils’ views on reading for pleasure and how often pupils eat with their families.

The mixed picture includes 72% of young people being optimistic about their personal future, 67% reporting that their family provides a high level of love and support and 61% accepting and taking personal responsibility. However, only 14% of respondents felt that the community values youth, 20% said that school provides a caring, encouraging environment and 25% of young people know how to plan ahead and make choices. 

Funded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland, through the biggest single grant it awarded in 2007, the snapshot will be closely scrutinised by a range of bodies including voluntary organisations, teachers, government departments, the police, elected representatives, and churches. Representatives of these organisations will be encouraged to reflect on how the findings impact on their day-to-day practice in relation to young people.

For further information see the documents below.

Developmental Assets: A Profile of Your Youth Participating Schools in Scotland (full report)

Developmental Assets: A Profile of Your Youth Participating Schools in Scotland (executive summary) 

Developmental Assets: A Profile of Your Youth Participating Schools in Scotland (appendices)