The Subjective Well-Being of Children in Catalonia

L’ERIDIQV (www.udg.edu/eridiqv) is one of four research groups coordinating the international project Children’s Worlds (www.isciweb.org), promoted by the International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI). The Children’s Worlds project aims to gather reliable and representative data, from as many countries as possible, on children’s lives, their daily activities, how they spend their time and, in particular, how they perceive and evaluate their own well-being. This is done to improve their quality of life by raising the awareness in the children themselves, in their families and in the communities where they live, as well as in politicians and in institutions, among professionals and, finally, in the general population (Rees and Main, 2015).

This booklet presents the primary results and conclusions reached by the ERIDIQV based on the second wave of data collection in Spain. The first wave, carried out during 2011-2012 in collaboration with UNICEF-Spain, included a representative sample of first-year compulsory secondary education (ESO) adolescents from the entire country. With the support of the Jacobs Foundation, the second wave obtained a representative sample of data, on third- and fifth-year primary school children and first-year ESO adolescents from Catalonia.

The subjective well-being of children in Catalonia

A study of 3rd and 5th years of primary school and 1st year of compulsory secondary education

ERIDIQV Affiliated to Research Institute on Quality of Life

PORTADES DESPLEG ANGLES-CAST.indd 1 14/01/2019 09:20

The subjective well-being of children in Catalonia

A study of 3rd and 5th years of primary school and 1st year of compulsory secondary education

Ferran Casas i Mònica González-Carrasco (coord.)

Affiliated to the Quality of Life Research Institute (IRQV) University of Girona

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 1 14/01/2019 12:21:35 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ...... 5 Legal warning This work is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which Summary ...... 9 permits its unrestricted reproduction, distribution, public communication and transformation to create a derivative work, provided that the copyright owner The Sampling and Data Collection Procedure ...... 15 (the University of Girona) is cited. The full license can be consulted at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Results ...... 19 es/legalcode.ca

Published by: Conclusions ...... 39 Research Team on Children, Adolescents, Children’s Rights and their Quality of Life (ERIDIQV).

Publishing Service of the UdG www.udg.edu/publicacions - a/c: [email protected]

ISBN: 978-84-8458-528-2 Legal deposit: GI 1683-2018

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 2 14/01/2019 12:21:35 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Published by: Conclusions ...... 39 Research Team on Children, Adolescents, Children’s Rights and their Quality of Life (ERIDIQV).

Publishing Service of the UdG www.udg.edu/publicacions - a/c: [email protected]

ISBN: 978-84-8458-528-2 Legal deposit: GI 1683-2018

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 3 14/01/2019 12:21:35 INTRODUCTION

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 4 14/01/2019 12:21:35 INTRODUCTION

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 5 14/01/2019 12:21:35 The Research Team on Children, Adolescents, Children’s Rights and their Quality of Life (ERIDIQV) (www.udg.edu/eridiqv) is one of four research groups coordinating the international project Children’s Worlds (www. isciweb.org), promoted by the International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI). The Children’s Worlds project aims to gather reliable and representative data, from as many countries as possible, on children’s lives, their daily activities, how they spend their time and, in particular, how they perceive and evaluate their own well-being. This is done to improve their quality of life by raising the awareness in the children themselves, in their families and in the communities where they live, as well as in politicians and in institutions, among professionals and, finally, in the general population (Rees and Main, 2015)1.

The Children’s Worlds project questionnaire included different measures of subjective well-being, defined as the main psychosocial component (i.e., non-material) of quality of life, and took into account people’s perceptions, evaluations and aspirations in relation to the main aspects of life, such as health, leisure time, school, interpersonal relations and personal satisfaction, among others (Campbell et al., 1976)2.

This booklet presents the primary results and conclusions reached by the ERIDIQV based on the second wave of data collection in Spain. The first wave, carried out during 2011-2012 in collaboration with UNICEF-Spain, included a representative sample of first-year compulsory secondary education (ESO) adolescents from the entire country. With the support of the Jacobs Foundation, the second wave obtained a representative sample of data, gathered in late 2013 and in early 2014, on third- and fifth-year primary school children and first-yearESO adolescents from Catalonia.

Given the representativeness of the sample, it is important not to underestimate the small percentages: 1% of the questionnaire respondents represent 2,213 boys and girls of the same age in the general population.

1 Rees, G. & Main, G. (Eds.). (2015). Children’s views on their lives and well-being in 15 countries: An initial report on the Children’s Worlds survey, 2013–14. York: Children’s Worlds Project (ISCWeB). 2 Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rogers, W. L. (1976). The quality of American life: Per- ceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage. 7

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 6 14/01/2019 12:21:35 The Research Team on Children, Adolescents, Children’s Rights and their Quality of Life (ERIDIQV) (www.udg.edu/eridiqv) is one of four research groups coordinating the international project Children’s Worlds (www. isciweb.org), promoted by the International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI). The Children’s Worlds project aims to gather reliable and representative data, from as many countries as possible, on children’s lives, their daily activities, how they spend their time and, in particular, how they perceive and evaluate their own well-being. This is done to improve their quality of life by raising the awareness in the children themselves, in their families and in the communities where they live, as well as in politicians and in institutions, among professionals and, finally, in the general population (Rees and Main, 2015)1.

This booklet presents the primary results and conclusions reached by the ERIDIQV based on the second wave of data collection in Spain. The first wave, carried out during 2011-2012 in collaboration with UNICEF-Spain, included a representative sample of first-year compulsory secondary education (ESO) adolescents from the entire country. With the support of the Jacobs Foundation, the second wave obtained a representative sample of data, gathered in late 2013 and in early 2014, on third- and fifth-year primary school children and first-yearESO adolescents from Catalonia.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 7 14/01/2019 12:21:35 SUMMARY

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 8 14/01/2019 12:21:35 SUMMARY

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 9 14/01/2019 12:21:35 At home and the people they live with

n The results show that a large majority of children in Catalonia are very satisfied with their family life and with the people with whom they live. n More than 90% of the respondents say that they feel safe at home and more than 85% thought say are treated fairly by their parents (or the adults that care for them) and have a good time with them. n On the other hand, 1.9% of the respondents claim they do not feel safe at home and 4.4% do not think they are treated fairly by their parents or their guardians. n 8.1% of the children of Catalonia report that they “never” speak with their parents or that they only do “once or twice a week”. n 25.1% and 28.9% of the respondents claim that they “never” or only “once or twice a week”, respectively, have a good time with their family and learn things together. n 56.7% of the respondents say their parents or guardians listen to them and 51.1% say they have a quiet place to study at home.

These results demonstrate that enjoying an environment of love and security is altogether different from having a participatory family dynamic in which children are listened to and their opinions are taken into account, and they learn and discuss together with the people they live with.

Their belongings n The responses show that more than 80% of the participants possess all the belongings considered, except for a mobile phone and their own room, which only a small percentage of participants have. Having clothes in good condition to go to school receives the highest percentage of “yes” answers.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 10 14/01/2019 12:21:35 At home and the people they live with

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 11 14/01/2019 12:21:35 n Between 18 and 31% of the participants from the three age groups are n However, they are not very satisfied with the police in the area, or “always” worried about how much money their family members have, with their local government, which do not ask their opinions very often and 4.5% of those of the group of 12-year-olds report only one of the about what is most important. adults at home has a paid job. Emphasis is placed on the children’s lack of opportunities to acti- In general, the participants report that they are satisfied with the vely participate in society and express their opinions. things they have. However, significant subsets of children claim they lack material goods, which reaffirms the existence of different degrees of material deprivation among the population. Primary and secondary school n The majority of the children give positive evaluations of their teachers Friends and their safety at school. n However, a relevant percentage of participants say that they don’t like n To a great extent, the children think that they have enough friends and school (9.7%) or that the teachers do not listen to them or take into are treated well by them. However, 1.8% claim that their friends do account what they say (1.8%). not always treat them well and 2.8% think they do not have enough friends. n The children are moderately satisfied with different aspects of school life, such as the marks they receive and student’s life in general. n The rates of satisfaction with friends, the people living in their neigh- bourhood or area, and relationships with others are generally very n 13% of the participants say that other children at school have hit them high, especially as far as friends are concerned. more than three times, and 8.7% say they have been ignored and/or excluded by classmates more than three times in the past month. n Chatting and having a good time with friends are among the most common activities, while getting together to study with friends is much less frequent. These results reveal that more effort must be made, solutions found and work done to improve school relationships and dynamics.

These results reconfirm the importance and the influence of peers in children’s lives. Use of time n The most common use of time (every day or almost every day) is de- voted to doing school homework, followed by watching television or The area where they live listening to music, although a high percentage of time is spent on ac- n In general, the participants report that there are enough places to play tivities such as playing sports or doing exercise or spending time with or have fun in the area where they live. oneself. n Generally, they are fairly satisfied with their medical treatment, with n It is noteworthy that 60% say that they “rarely” or “never” participate open-air spaces and with the area where they live. in free-time activities.

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 12 14/01/2019 12:21:35 n Between 18 and 31% of the participants from the three age groups are n However, they are not very satisfied with the police in the area, or “always” worried about how much money their family members have, with their local government, which do not ask their opinions very often and 4.5% of those of the group of 12-year-olds report only one of the about what is most important. adults at home has a paid job. Emphasis is placed on the children’s lack of opportunities to acti- In general, the participants report that they are satisfied with the vely participate in society and express their opinions. things they have. However, significant subsets of children claim they lack material goods, which reaffirms the existence of different degrees of material deprivation among the population. Primary and secondary school n The majority of the children give positive evaluations of their teachers Friends and their safety at school. n However, a relevant percentage of participants say that they don’t like n To a great extent, the children think that they have enough friends and school (9.7%) or that the teachers do not listen to them or take into are treated well by them. However, 1.8% claim that their friends do account what they say (1.8%). not always treat them well and 2.8% think they do not have enough friends. n The children are moderately satisfied with different aspects of school life, such as the marks they receive and student’s life in general. n The rates of satisfaction with friends, the people living in their neigh- bourhood or area, and relationships with others are generally very n 13% of the participants say that other children at school have hit them high, especially as far as friends are concerned. more than three times, and 8.7% say they have been ignored and/or excluded by classmates more than three times in the past month. n Chatting and having a good time with friends are among the most common activities, while getting together to study with friends is much less frequent. These results reveal that more effort must be made, solutions found and work done to improve school relationships and dynamics.

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 13 14/01/2019 12:21:35 n Overall, a large part of the participants report they are fairly satisfied with what they do in their free time or how they use it, with means above 80 (on a scale from 0 to 100) in all three age groups. n In general, the children claim to be satisfied with their future opportunities, with a mean score of satisfaction about what might happen in their lives of 88.7 out of 100 for the group of 10-year-olds and 84.5 for the group of 12-year-olds.

These data on the use of free time should be viewed with some de- tachment and importance placed on the activities in which children are involved after school.

Children’s rights n A worrying percentage of participants say they do not know which rights children have (14.1%) or have never heard of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (32.1%).

These data suggest the need to review the policies and actions cur rently in place to disseminate these rights and to guarantee that children are informed about them.

Subjective well-being and nuclear affects THE SAMPLING n The mean scores on the different psychometric scales used to measure subjective well-being are very high, but they decrease with age. The AND DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE same decrease occurs with the nuclear affects included in the questionnaire.

The mean scores on the psychometric scales reveal that, in the population at large, subjective well-being decreases continuously- af ter 10 years of age.

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 14 14/01/2019 12:21:35 n Overall, a large part of the participants report they are fairly satisfied with what they do in their free time or how they use it, with means above 80 (on a scale from 0 to 100) in all three age groups. n In general, the children claim to be satisfied with their future opportunities, with a mean score of satisfaction about what might happen in their lives of 88.7 out of 100 for the group of 10-year-olds and 84.5 for the group of 12-year-olds.

These data on the use of free time should be viewed with some de- tachment and importance placed on the activities in which children are involved after school.

Children’s rights n A worrying percentage of participants say they do not know which rights children have (14.1%) or have never heard of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (32.1%).

These data suggest the need to review the policies and actions cur rently in place to disseminate these rights and to guarantee that children are informed about them.

The mean scores on the psychometric scales reveal that, in the population at large, subjective well-being decreases continuously- af ter 10 years of age.

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 15 14/01/2019 12:21:35 The data were obtained through cluster sampling, with the school as the sampling unit. The sample was stratified by the province, the locational context and the type of each school, as can be seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Sample selection criteria

 Barcelona  Tarragona  Girona  Lleida

4 provinces

A close-ended questionnaire was administered online, whenever possible, or on paper. The questionnaires were administered to groups of children in classrooms provided by the schools, in the presence of researchers trained to clarify any doubts and answer any questions. The questionnaire used for lower grades had fewer questions, and some of the scales were adapted to facilitate comprehension by the third-year primary school students. The questionnaires required respondents to agree/disagree, state frequencies, rate their satisfaction and answer psychometric scale questions to evaluate subjective well-being.

Who participated?

60 108 primary secondary48 Catalan schools schools schools + =

The ages of the children and adolescents ranged from 7 to 14. In the third year of primary school the majority of students were between 8 and 9 years old, although some were 7 and some were 10. In the fifth year they

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 16 14/01/2019 12:21:35 The data were obtained through cluster sampling, with the school as the sampling unit. The sample was stratified by the province, the locational context and the type of each school, as can be seen in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Sample selection criteria

 Barcelona  Rural (<2.000 pop.)  Tarragona  Semiurban (2.000  Public  Girona 10.000 pop.)  Private/Subsidized  Lleida  Urban (>10.000 pop.) private

4 provinces 3 types of context 2 types of schools

Who participated?

60 108 primary secondary48 Catalan schools schools schools + =

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 17 14/01/2019 12:21:35 were generally between 10 and 11, but some were still 9 or already 12. And in the first year ofESO they were about 12 and 13, but some were 11 or 14. We considered each grade to be synonymous with an age group, since each year of schooling corresponds to an average age (Table 1).

Table 1. Age according to year of schooling

Age 3rd year 5th year 1st year of ESO of primary school of primary school 7 years 78 - - 8 years 863 - - 9 years 85 72 - 10 years 6 886 - 11 years - 95 89 12 years - 4 1,304 13 years - - 242 14 years - - 32 Total participants 1,032 1,057 1,667

RESULTS

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 18 14/01/2019 12:21:35 were generally between 10 and 11, but some were still 9 or already 12. And in the first year ofESO they were about 12 and 13, but some were 11 or 14. We considered each grade to be synonymous with an age group, since each year of schooling corresponds to an average age (Table 1).

Table 1. Age according to year of schooling

RESULTS

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 19 14/01/2019 12:21:35 2.1. Evaluation of the home and the people who live with them

The children were asked about different aspects of their relationships with their parents or guardians, and about perceptions of their home, based on five issues to which they had to express their degree of agreement (Figure 2). Figure 2. Degree of agreement with different evaluations of the home and the people who live with them (percentages)

My parents treat me fairly 7,7 17,9 69,9

We have a good time together in my family 9,3 18,1 67,2

My parents listen to me and take what I say into account 12,1 23,8 56,7

I have a quiet place to study at home 10,9 29,1 51,1

I feel safe at home 5,9 15,4 76,8

I do not agree Agree a little bit Agree somewhat Agree a lot Totally agree

More than 80% of the children “agree a lot” or “totally agree” with all the aspects evaluated. In the case of “I feel safe at home”, the percentage increases to more than 90%. For the “do not agree” and the “agree a little bit” responses, the highest percentage corresponds to “I have a quiet place to study at home”. The participants were asked how often they had talked with their families and if they had had fun or learned things together during the week prior to the administration of the questionnaire (Figure 3). Figure 3. Frequency with which they spend time doing different things with their families (percentages) 100

80 75,2

60 Not at all Once or twice 39,9 38 40 35 33 Most days Every day 21,1 20,9 20 16,7 6,5 8 1,6 4 0 Talking together Having fun together Learning together 21

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 20 14/01/2019 12:21:35 2.1. Evaluation of the home and the people who live with them

My parents treat me fairly 7,7 17,9 69,9

We have a good time together in my family 9,3 18,1 67,2

My parents listen to me and take what I say into account 12,1 23,8 56,7

I have a quiet place to study at home 10,9 29,1 51,1

I feel safe at home 5,9 15,4 76,8

I do not agree Agree a little bit Agree somewhat Agree a lot Totally agree

80 75,2

60 Not at all Once or twice 39,9 38 40 35 33 Most days Every day 21,1 20,9 20 16,7 6,5 8 1,6 4 0 Talking together Having fun together Learning together 21

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 21 14/01/2019 12:21:36 Talking together is much more frequent than learning or having a good 2.2. Evaluations of money and the things they have time together. No gender differences stand out in the responses to these three questions, but they do with regard to age: the youngest say they The children were asked a set of questions about the things they have have fun and learn things together more often than the other age groups (Table 2). A reduced set of questions was used for the 8-year-olds. do. However, the 10- and 12-year-olds report that they spend more time talking with their families than 8-year-olds do. Table 2. Things they have (percentage of affirmative responses) He or she has... 8 years 10 years 12 years They were asked about their degree of satisfaction with different aspects of their family life: satisfaction with the house or flat where they live, with A mobile phone for themselves - 34.2 76.4 the people who live with them, with the other members of the family and with family life (Figure 4). Although there are no outstanding differences Their own room - 81.3 80.7 by gender in any of the responses, there are by age: between the ages of Books to read for fun - 92.2 88.3 8 and 10 the highest levels of satisfaction correspond to family life, while among the 12-year-olds satisfaction with the people who live with them Their own equipment to listen to music - 79.2 92.4 had the highest mean score. Clothes in good condition to go to school in 97.0 97.0 98.8

Figure 4. Satisfaction with aspects of family life by age and gender Access to computer at home 88.8 92.6 95.5 (averages) Access to Internet 87.9 91.0 95.0

100 A family car for transportation 89.0 88.8 84.6

95 A television at home than they can use 98.1 98.1 98.3

90 In all groups, the highest percentages of affirmative responses correspond 8 anys to having a television they can use at home and clothes in good condition 85 10 anys to go to school, while the lowest percentage corresponds to having a 12 anys mobile phone for themselves at the ages of 10 and 12. A rapid increase 80 can be observed in the possession of mobile phones during this age interval: while only 34.2% of the 10-year-olds say they have one, among 75 Nens Nenes Total Nens Nenes Total Nens Nenes Total Nens Nenes Total the 12-year-olds the number is 76.4%. La casa o pis on vius Les persones Totes les altres persones La teva vida familiar que viuen amb tu de la teva familia The majority of children are satisfied with the things they have, with mean scores higher than 95 points on a scale of 100 for the 8-year-olds, and scores above 90 for the 10- and 12-year-olds (Figure 5).

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 22 14/01/2019 12:21:36 Talking together is much more frequent than learning or having a good 2.2. Evaluations of money and the things they have time together. No gender differences stand out in the responses to these three questions, but they do with regard to age: the youngest say they The children were asked a set of questions about the things they have have fun and learn things together more often than the other age groups (Table 2). A reduced set of questions was used for the 8-year-olds. do. However, the 10- and 12-year-olds report that they spend more time talking with their families than 8-year-olds do. Table 2. Things they have (percentage of affirmative responses) He or she has... 8 years 10 years 12 years They were asked about their degree of satisfaction with different aspects of their family life: satisfaction with the house or flat where they live, with A mobile phone for themselves - 34.2 76.4 the people who live with them, with the other members of the family and with family life (Figure 4). Although there are no outstanding differences Their own room - 81.3 80.7 by gender in any of the responses, there are by age: between the ages of Books to read for fun - 92.2 88.3 8 and 10 the highest levels of satisfaction correspond to family life, while among the 12-year-olds satisfaction with the people who live with them Their own equipment to listen to music - 79.2 92.4 had the highest mean score. Clothes in good condition to go to school in 97.0 97.0 98.8

Figure 4. Satisfaction with aspects of family life by age and gender Access to computer at home 88.8 92.6 95.5 (averages) Access to Internet 87.9 91.0 95.0

100 A family car for transportation 89.0 88.8 84.6

95 A television at home than they can use 98.1 98.1 98.3

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 23 14/01/2019 12:21:36 Figure 5. Satisfaction with the things they have by ages (means) Figure 7. How often do they worry about how much money their family has (percentages) 100 99 98 8 years 17,4 37,3 14,9 30,5 97 96,5 10 years 17,5 35,6 23,2 23,6 96 12 years 13,2 37,1 30,8 18,9 95 Boys 94,2 94 95 Girls Never Sometimes Often Always 93 93,7 91,9 92 91 91,4 2.3. Evaluations of friends and relationships with other people 90 8 years 10 years 12 years With regard to friends, 59% of the children “totally agree” that their friends generally treat them well, and 69.5% “totally agree” that they The group of 12-year-olds were asked how often they were given money have enough friends. However, there are gender differences: more boys for themselves. Almost half of them say they receive money, but not regularly (Figure 6). than girls “do not agree” with these two statements.

Figure 6. How often they receive money (percentages) For the 8-year-olds, responses between genders are similar concerning their satisfaction with their friends (Figure 8), but the girls of that age give higher scores than the boys do for satisfaction with the people who live in their area (Figure 9) and their relationships with people in general (Figure 10,9 I don't get pocket money 17,4 10). The 10-year-old boys give higher scores than the girls when evaluat- I get pocket money, but not ing their satisfaction with their friends (Figure 8), but the girls are more 23,4 regularly satisfied with the people who live in their area (Figure 9) and with their I get pocket money every relationships with people in general (Figure 10). On the other hand, the week 12-year-old girls have higher mean scores than the boys of the same age 48,3 I get pocket money every month on all these satisfaction items (Figures 8, 9 and 10).

They were also asked how often they feel worried about how much money their family has (Figure 7). The most frequent response for all age groups is that “sometimes” they worry about this issue. As age increases, they claim to be worried more frequently, either “often” or “always”. 24 25

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 24 14/01/2019 12:21:36 Figure 5. Satisfaction with the things they have by ages (means) Figure 7. How often do they worry about how much money their family has (percentages) 100 99 98 8 years 17,4 37,3 14,9 30,5 97 96,5 10 years 17,5 35,6 23,2 23,6 96 12 years 13,2 37,1 30,8 18,9 95 Boys 94,2 94 95 Girls Never Sometimes Often Always 93 93,7 91,9 92 91 91,4 2.3. Evaluations of friends and relationships with other people 90 8 years 10 years 12 years With regard to friends, 59% of the children “totally agree” that their friends generally treat them well, and 69.5% “totally agree” that they The group of 12-year-olds were asked how often they were given money have enough friends. However, there are gender differences: more boys for themselves. Almost half of them say they receive money, but not regularly (Figure 6). than girls “do not agree” with these two statements.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 25 14/01/2019 12:21:36 Figure 8. Satisfaction with friends (means) In all age groups, “every day” and “most days” (in that order) were the responses that obtained the highest percentages when children were asked 100 how often they talk and have a good time with their friends out of school.

95 93,3 While the 12-year-olds say more often than children of other age groups 93,3 90,7 90,1 that “every day” they speak with their friends out of school, the 10-year- 90 Boys olds say with greater frequency that they have a good time with them 89,1 88,9 85 Girls “every day” out of school (Figure 11). On the other hand, when asked how

80 often they get together with friends to study out of school, “not at all”, is the most frequent response among the 8- and 10-year-olds while “once or 75 twice” is given most often by the 12-year-olds. 8 years 10 years 12 years

Figure 9. Satisfaction with the people who live in their area (means) Figure 11. With what frequency… (percentages)

They talk with friends apart from at school 100

12 years 3,2 19,5 8,7 41,5 95

10 years 5 15 23,6 56,3 90 85 85,7 Boys 84,1 8 years 7,7 8,7 21,5 66,6 85 Girls 85,7 83,5 80 Never Sometimes Often Always 81,6 They have fun with their friends apart from at school 75 8 years 10 years 12 years 12 years 9,8 20 25,5 44,7

10 years 7,3 13,7 28,2 50,9 Figure 10. Satisfaction with their relationships with people in general (means) 8 years 6,1 14,1 31,2 48,6

Never Sometimes Often Always 100 They meet with friends to study apart from at school

95 90,75 12 years 53,5 25,4 10,7 10,4 89,2 89 90 Boys 10 years 40,4 39,6 13 7 85 87,9 87,7 Girls 87,25 8 years 39 44,7 13 3,3 80 Never Sometimes Often Always 75 8 years 10 years 12 years

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 26 14/01/2019 12:21:36 Figure 8. Satisfaction with friends (means) In all age groups, “every day” and “most days” (in that order) were the responses that obtained the highest percentages when children were asked 100 how often they talk and have a good time with their friends out of school.

Figure 9. Satisfaction with the people who live in their area (means) Figure 11. With what frequency… (percentages)

They talk with friends apart from at school 100

12 years 3,2 19,5 8,7 41,5 95

10 years 7,3 13,7 28,2 50,9 Figure 10. Satisfaction with their relationships with people in general (means) 8 years 6,1 14,1 31,2 48,6

Never Sometimes Often Always 100 They meet with friends to study apart from at school

95 90,75 12 years 53,5 25,4 10,7 10,4 89,2 89 90 Boys 10 years 40,4 39,6 13 7 85 87,9 87,7 Girls 87,25 8 years 39 44,7 13 3,3 80 Never Sometimes Often Always 75 8 years 10 years 12 years

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INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 27 14/01/2019 12:21:37 2.4. Evaluations of the area where they live 2.5. Evaluations of school

With respect to the area where they live, 77.6% of the respondents “agree With regard to school, 83.5% of the participants “agree a lot” or “totally a lot” or “totally agree” with the statement that there are enough places agree” that they feel safe at school, 81.2% “agree a lot” or “totally agree” to play and have fun, and 80.6% “agree a lot” or “totally agree” that they that the teachers treat them fairly, and 80.6% “agree a lot” or “totally feel safe (Figures 12 and 13), while 5.2% and 2.9%, respectively, “do not agree” that the teachers listen and pay attention to them. The most agree” with the two statements. frequent response corresponds to the statement “I like going to school”: 62.7% “agree a lot” or “totally agree” with this sentence, while 21.3% “do Figure 12. In the area where they Figure 13. They feel safe in the not agree” or “agree a little bit”, and the rest, 15.9%, “agree somewhat” live there are enough places to area where they live (percentages) (Figure 15). play and have fun (percentages) 2,9 In general, the participants from schools located in semi-urban areas (compared with students from urban and rural schools) had higher 5,2 6,7 8,1 percentages of “totally agree” responses to all statements. 9,8 I do not agree 9,1 Agree a little bit The children and adolescents in public schools (compared with those from Agree somewhat private ones) have higher scores for all items except “I feel safe at school”, 56,7 55,9 Agree a lot where the scores are lowest. Only 2.2% of all the participants “do not 24,7 20,9 Totally agree agree at all” with this aspect. Figure 15. Degree of agreement and disagreement with elements related to school (percentages)

Only the first-year ESO students were asked if they believe the town I feel safe at school 10,3 22,5 61 council asks youngsters of their age their opinions about things that are

important to them. The most frequent response is “agree a lot”, followed My teachers treat me fairly 11,5 25,1 56,1 by “totally agree”. However, 18.8% of the respondents “do not agree” and

15.7% “agree a little bit” (Figure 14). I like going to school 15,9 25,3 37,4

Fig. 14. The town council asks children their opinion about things that are My teachers listen to me and take what I say into account 12,3 30,9 49,7 important to them (percentages)

I do not agree Agree a little bit Agree somewhat Agree a lot Totally agree

18,8 22,7 I do not agree With respect to satisfaction with different elements related to school Agree a little bit (classmates, the marks that get, their experiences there, their relationship Agree somewhat 15,7 with teachers, their life as a student and the things they have learned), Agree a lot differences can be observed between the scores of boys and girls (Table Totally agree 3). In general, the girls are more satisfied than the boys with different 31 11,8 aspects of school, with a single exception: satisfaction with classmates, in the group of 10-year-olds. 28 29

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 28 14/01/2019 12:21:37 2.4. Evaluations of the area where they live 2.5. Evaluations of school

With respect to the area where they live, 77.6% of the respondents “agree With regard to school, 83.5% of the participants “agree a lot” or “totally a lot” or “totally agree” with the statement that there are enough places agree” that they feel safe at school, 81.2% “agree a lot” or “totally agree” to play and have fun, and 80.6% “agree a lot” or “totally agree” that they that the teachers treat them fairly, and 80.6% “agree a lot” or “totally feel safe (Figures 12 and 13), while 5.2% and 2.9%, respectively, “do not agree” that the teachers listen and pay attention to them. The most agree” with the two statements. frequent response corresponds to the statement “I like going to school”: 62.7% “agree a lot” or “totally agree” with this sentence, while 21.3% “do Figure 12. In the area where they Figure 13. They feel safe in the not agree” or “agree a little bit”, and the rest, 15.9%, “agree somewhat” live there are enough places to area where they live (percentages) (Figure 15). play and have fun (percentages) 2,9 In general, the participants from schools located in semi-urban areas (compared with students from urban and rural schools) had higher 6,7 percentages of “totally agree” responses to all statements. 9,8 I do not agree Agree a little bit The children and adolescents in public schools (compared with those from Agree somewhat private ones) have higher scores for all items except “I feel safe at school”, 55,9 Agree a lot where the scores are lowest. Only 2.2% of all the participants “do not 24,7 Totally agree agree at all” with this aspect. Figure 15. Degree of agreement and disagreement with elements related to school (percentages)

Only the first-year ESO students were asked if they believe the town I feel safe at school 10,3 22,5 61 council asks youngsters of their age their opinions about things that are important to them. The most frequent response is “agree a lot”, followed My teachers treat me fairly 11,5 25,1 56,1 by “totally agree”. However, 18.8% of the respondents “do not agree” and

15.7% “agree a little bit” (Figure 14). I like going to school 15,9 25,3 37,4

Fig. 14. The town council asks children their opinion about things that are My teachers listen to me and take what I say into account 12,3 30,9 49,7 important to them (percentages)

I do not agree Agree a little bit Agree somewhat Agree a lot Totally agree

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 29 14/01/2019 12:21:37 The evaluations are less positive with increases in age. The mean score are An analysis of satisfaction with school-related aspects according to the higher for 8-year-olds in all statements, except satisfaction with teachers, school’s location (rural, semi-urban or urban) in the group of 8-year-olds and a sharp decline can be seen in the scores of 10- and 12-year-olds. reveals differences between the urban context and the other two in terms of satisfaction with their relationships with teachers, with the marks they Table 3. Differences in satisfaction with school according to age group and get and their experience at school, and only small differences between the gender (mean scores from 0 to 100) all three contexts in terms of satisfaction with classmates. In all cases with higher scores among the participants in rural locations and lower scores in Satisfaction with... 8 years 10 years 12 years urban zones. On the other hand, the 10-year-old participants from semi- urban schools had higher scores in all areas of satisfaction evaluated, and Boys 87.5 86.3 82.3 among the 12-year-olds, the students from rural areas had higher scores Other children in the class Girls 88.7 84.2 83.7 for satisfaction with the things they have learned, with teachers, with Total 88.0 85.2 83.0 their marks and with their classmates. Boys 85.5 83.3 70.5 The school marks Girls 89.0 84.8 74.3 Bullying Total 87.3 84.1 72.3 Bullying at school has been examined with two frequency questions. Boys 87.5 86.0 77.7 Specifically, the participants were asked how many times they had been Their school experience Girls 88.3 88.9 83.3 hit or left out by schoolmates during the previous month. They reported Total 88.0 87.5 80.4 that schoolmates had hit them (13%) or left them out (8.7%) more than Boys 83.5 85.5 78.6 three times during the previous month (Figures 16 and 17). Their relationship with Girls 89.0 90.1 84.6 teachers Boys report more frequently than girls that they have been hit by Total 86.0 87.9 81.5 classmates more than three times in the previous month, but girls state Boys - 84.2 74.8 more often that they have been left out. The younger the respondent, the Their life as a student* Girls - 87.9 80.2 more frequently they report having been hit or left out more than three Total - 86.1 77.4 times in the previous month. Boys - 90.3 83.2 Bullying at school differs according to place of birth: boys and girls born The things they have Girls - 93.0 86.4 in foreign countries report more frequently than other schoolmates that learned* Total - 91.7 84.7 they have been hit more than three times in the previous month. *Only for the 10- and 12-year age groups In the group of 8-year-olds, 45.7% of the students in schools located in urban contexts state that schoolmates have not hit them in the previous For the 8-year-olds, satisfaction with marks, experiences at school month, and 53.1% state that they haven’t been left out during this same and relationships with teachers are higher in public schools. However, period. In rural and semi-urban locations, the percentages are lower, satisfaction with classmates is slightly higher in those in private schools. between 42 and 53%. The 10-year-old participants in rural schools have For the 10-year-olds, all the scores for these items are higher in the public reported being hit less often, compared to participants from semi-urban schools. The same is true for satisfaction with classmates in the group of and urban schools, while the participants from semi-urban schools state 12-year-olds, while on the other items, in this age group, the scores are that they are left out less often, in comparison with children who go to fairly similar between public and private schools. the other types of schools. The 12-year-old students who attend semi-

30 31

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 30 14/01/2019 12:21:37 The evaluations are less positive with increases in age. The mean score are An analysis of satisfaction with school-related aspects according to the higher for 8-year-olds in all statements, except satisfaction with teachers, school’s location (rural, semi-urban or urban) in the group of 8-year-olds and a sharp decline can be seen in the scores of 10- and 12-year-olds. reveals differences between the urban context and the other two in terms of satisfaction with their relationships with teachers, with the marks they Table 3. Differences in satisfaction with school according to age group and get and their experience at school, and only small differences between the gender (mean scores from 0 to 100) all three contexts in terms of satisfaction with classmates. In all cases with higher scores among the participants in rural locations and lower scores in Satisfaction with... 8 years 10 years 12 years urban zones. On the other hand, the 10-year-old participants from semi- urban schools had higher scores in all areas of satisfaction evaluated, and Boys 87.5 86.3 82.3 among the 12-year-olds, the students from rural areas had higher scores Other children in the class Girls 88.7 84.2 83.7 for satisfaction with the things they have learned, with teachers, with Total 88.0 85.2 83.0 their marks and with their classmates. Boys 85.5 83.3 70.5 The school marks Girls 89.0 84.8 74.3 Bullying Total 87.3 84.1 72.3 Bullying at school has been examined with two frequency questions. Boys 87.5 86.0 77.7 Specifically, the participants were asked how many times they had been Their school experience Girls 88.3 88.9 83.3 hit or left out by schoolmates during the previous month. They reported Total 88.0 87.5 80.4 that schoolmates had hit them (13%) or left them out (8.7%) more than Boys 83.5 85.5 78.6 three times during the previous month (Figures 16 and 17). Their relationship with Girls 89.0 90.1 84.6 teachers Boys report more frequently than girls that they have been hit by Total 86.0 87.9 81.5 classmates more than three times in the previous month, but girls state Boys - 84.2 74.8 more often that they have been left out. The younger the respondent, the Their life as a student* Girls - 87.9 80.2 more frequently they report having been hit or left out more than three Total - 86.1 77.4 times in the previous month. Boys - 90.3 83.2 Bullying at school differs according to place of birth: boys and girls born The things they have Girls - 93.0 86.4 in foreign countries report more frequently than other schoolmates that learned* Total - 91.7 84.7 they have been hit more than three times in the previous month. *Only for the 10- and 12-year age groups In the group of 8-year-olds, 45.7% of the students in schools located in urban contexts state that schoolmates have not hit them in the previous For the 8-year-olds, satisfaction with marks, experiences at school month, and 53.1% state that they haven’t been left out during this same and relationships with teachers are higher in public schools. However, period. In rural and semi-urban locations, the percentages are lower, satisfaction with classmates is slightly higher in those in private schools. between 42 and 53%. The 10-year-old participants in rural schools have For the 10-year-olds, all the scores for these items are higher in the public reported being hit less often, compared to participants from semi-urban schools. The same is true for satisfaction with classmates in the group of and urban schools, while the participants from semi-urban schools state 12-year-olds, while on the other items, in this age group, the scores are that they are left out less often, in comparison with children who go to fairly similar between public and private schools. the other types of schools. The 12-year-old students who attend semi-

30 31

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 31 14/01/2019 12:21:37 urban schools have the highest percentage of “never” responses to the Figure 17. Frequency with which they have been hit or ignored in the two questions. previous month by schoolmates, according to the school’s ownership (percentages) Differences can be seen according to school ownership: in all age groups the participants from private schools report less often that they are hit by 8 years 10 years 12 years 100% 100% 100% 3,6 9,2 7 7,1 5,2 5,2 14,2 11,3 6,2 schoolmates, but they also reveal that they are more frequently left out 90% 17,7 90% 15,7 90% 5,6 7,3 9,3 22,2 23,8 11,9 13,9 12,6 8,6 13,8 by other boys and girls, in comparison with students in public schools. 80% 80% 80% 12,5 12,5 14,5 15,2 22,5 16,6 70% 70% 18,3 13 70% 20,3 19,6 17 Figure 16. Frequency with which they have been hit or left out in the 60% 12,7 60% 60% 16,2 14,2 50% 15,4 50% previous month by schoolmates, according to the school’s location 50% More than 3 times 40% 78,9 76,4 2-3 times (percentages) 40% 40% 74,8 71 30% Once 30% 30% 62,2 58,8 54,4 54,7 56,5 Never 8 years 10 years 12 years 47 49,2 20% 20% 44,1 20% 100% 100% 100% 10% 5,9 5,3 3,3 5,6 3,8 4,1 8,1 9,8 8,2 4 7,1 10% 10% 13,7 3,8 6,4 90% 19,4 18,9 16,4 16,4 18,3 5,4 7,5 23,3 22,8 90% 9,2 90% 6,7 0% 12,9 14,8 0% 0% 10 13,1 11,7 11,7 17,1 10,2 14,6 80% 80% 80% Public Public

12,7 Private Private Public Public 14,9 Public Public Private Private 18,3 12,6 Private Private 17,9 23,2 14,7 Being hit by Being left out 70% 70% 16,5 70% 23,6 15,9 16,2 18,6 Being hit by Being left out by Being hit by Being left out by other children by other 17,7 other children other children other children other children children 60% 17,5 12,2 60% 17,6 60% 16,7 18,2 15,3 50% 14,3 50% 50% More than 3 times 40% 40% 40% 77,9 78,1 2-3 times 73,8 76 77,3 73,7 2.6. Evaluations of their use of time 65,6 Once 30% 30% 61,7 62,6 60,1 30% 55,8 51,2 53,1 51,5 Never 46,6 42,7 42,6 45,7 20% 20% 20% Doing homework and watching television or listening to music are the 10% 10% 10% activities that more participants report doing every day or almost every 0% 0% 0% day, without any differences according to gender (Figure 18). The most Rural Rural Rural Rural Rural Rural Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban Urban frequent are playing a sport or doing exercise, for the boys, and helping Semi-urban Semi-urban Semi-urban Semi-urban Semi-urban Semi-urban Being hit by Being left out by Being hit by Being left out by Being hit by Being left out by with housework and spending time alone, in the case of the girls. other children other children other children other children other children other children Participating in organized leisure time activities (youth movement, scout, etc.) is hardly or not at all frequent (60%). On the other hand, activities like helping up around the house (59.9%), playing sports or doing exercise (56.7%) and spending time alone (56.5%) are done every day or almost every day by more than half of the participants.

32 33

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 32 14/01/2019 12:21:37 urban schools have the highest percentage of “never” responses to the Figure 17. Frequency with which they have been hit or ignored in the two questions. previous month by schoolmates, according to the school’s ownership (percentages) Differences can be seen according to school ownership: in all age groups the participants from private schools report less often that they are hit by 8 years 10 years 12 years 100% 100% 100% 3,6 9,2 7 7,1 5,2 5,2 14,2 11,3 6,2 schoolmates, but they also reveal that they are more frequently left out 90% 17,7 90% 15,7 90% 5,6 7,3 9,3 22,2 23,8 11,9 13,9 12,6 8,6 13,8 by other boys and girls, in comparison with students in public schools. 80% 80% 80% 12,5 12,5 14,5 15,2 22,5 16,6 70% 70% 18,3 13 70% 20,3 19,6 17 Figure 16. Frequency with which they have been hit or left out in the 60% 12,7 60% 60% 16,2 14,2 50% 15,4 50% previous month by schoolmates, according to the school’s location 50% More than 3 times 40% 78,9 76,4 2-3 times (percentages) 40% 40% 74,8 71 30% Once 30% 30% 62,2 58,8 54,4 54,7 56,5 Never 8 years 10 years 12 years 47 49,2 20% 20% 44,1 20% 100% 100% 100% 10% 5,9 5,3 3,3 5,6 3,8 4,1 8,1 9,8 8,2 4 7,1 10% 10% 13,7 3,8 6,4 90% 19,4 18,9 16,4 16,4 18,3 5,4 7,5 23,3 22,8 90% 9,2 90% 6,7 0% 12,9 14,8 0% 0% 10 13,1 11,7 11,7 17,1 10,2 14,6 80% 80% 80% Public Public

32 33

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 33 14/01/2019 12:21:38 Figure 18. Frequency of free-time activities (percentages) of children (Figure 19). On the other hand, 14.1% of the participants do

Doing homework 8,3 87,1 not know the children’s rights, 32.1% have not heard about the convention and 8.2% do not believe that the adults of their countries respect the Watching TV or listen to music 3 5,2 16,6 75,2 rights of children. Helping up around the house 5,8 8,1 26,1 59,9

Playing sports or doing exercise 7,3 6,5 29,5 56,7 Figure 19. Children’s rights (percentages)

Spending time just being by myself 8,3 9,8 25,3 56,5 I know which I have heard of I think in my country, Taking care of brothers or sisters or other family members 19 10,2 21,1 49,7 rights are children’s the Convention on the adults in general respect

Using a computer 11,3 12,9 29,2 46,6 rights Rights of the Child children’s rights

Taking classes outside school time on matters different than at school 19,2 4,8 33,8 42,2

Reading for fun (not homework) 17,1 15,2 26,9 40,7 14,1 32,1 38,6 Participate in organized leisure time activities 60 15,1 16 9

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 48,2 37,7 Rarely or never Less than once a week Once or twice a week Everyday or almost everyday

*Only for the 10- and 12-year age groups 29,3 The participants indicate that taking part in after-school activities, reading because they like it and playing sports or doing exercise are less frequent with increasing age. Other activities such as doing school homework or 2.8. Subjective well-being using the computer are more frequent among the older students. To evaluate subjective well-being, four psychometric scales have been used: The participants born in Catalonia report that they use their time taking n Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS)3 is a single-item scale that evaluates part in after-school activities, doing homework and practicing sport or overall satisfaction with life. doing exercise more frequently than participants born outside Spain. n Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS)4 is a multi-item, context-free The children born in foreign countries spend more time helping to do scale. housework and less time and dedicate less time to themselves. n Brief Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale(BMSLSS) 5 is a Satisfaction with free-time activities and with how time is usedscores multi-item scale based on life domains. 6 lower among older boys and girls. According to gender, it is observed that n Personal Well-Being Index – School Children (PWI-SC) is a multi- 10- and 12-year-old boys are more satisfied with what they do in their free item scale based on life domains. Two versions have been used, time than the girls, while the girls of the same ages have higher scores with a scale reduced to 4 items for the group of 8-year-olds, and the than the boys in satisfaction with how they use their free time. other with a scale of 7 items for the groups of 10- and 12-year-olds.

2.7. Evaluations of children’s rights 3 Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rogers, W. L. (1976). The quality of American life: Per- ceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions. New York: Russell Sage. Almost half of the participants have responded “yes” to the statement “I 4 Huebner, E. S. (1991). Initial development of the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale. know which rights are children’s rights”. More than a third of the children School Psychology International, 12, 231-240. doi: 10.1177/0143034391123010 say they have heard of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and 5 Huebner, E. S. (1994). Preliminary development and validation of a multidimensional life satisfaction scale for children. Psychological Assessment, 6(2), 149-158. 54% believe that, in their countries, adults generally respect the rights 6 Cummins, R. A. (1998). The second approximation to an international standard for life satisfaction. Social Indicators Research, 43, 307-334. doi: 10.1023/A:1006831107052 34 35

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 34 14/01/2019 12:21:38 Figure 18. Frequency of free-time activities (percentages) of children (Figure 19). On the other hand, 14.1% of the participants do

Playing sports or doing exercise 7,3 6,5 29,5 56,7 Figure 19. Children’s rights (percentages)

Using a computer 11,3 12,9 29,2 46,6 rights Rights of the Child children’s rights

Taking classes outside school time on matters different than at school 19,2 4,8 33,8 42,2 8,2

Reading for fun (not homework) 17,1 15,2 26,9 40,7 14,1 32,1 No 38,6 Participate in organized leisure time activities 60 15,1 16 9 Not sure 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 48,2 37,7 54 37,8 Rarely or never Less than once a week Once or twice a week Everyday or almost everyday Yes *Only for the 10- and 12-year age groups 29,3 The participants indicate that taking part in after-school activities, reading because they like it and playing sports or doing exercise are less frequent with increasing age. Other activities such as doing school homework or 2.8. Subjective well-being using the computer are more frequent among the older students. To evaluate subjective well-being, four psychometric scales have been used: The participants born in Catalonia report that they use their time taking n Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS)3 is a single-item scale that evaluates part in after-school activities, doing homework and practicing sport or overall satisfaction with life. doing exercise more frequently than participants born outside Spain. n Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS)4 is a multi-item, context-free The children born in foreign countries spend more time helping to do scale. housework and less time and dedicate less time to themselves. n Brief Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale(BMSLSS) 5 is a Satisfaction with free-time activities and with how time is usedscores multi-item scale based on life domains. 6 lower among older boys and girls. According to gender, it is observed that n Personal Well-Being Index – School Children (PWI-SC) is a multi- 10- and 12-year-old boys are more satisfied with what they do in their free item scale based on life domains. Two versions have been used, time than the girls, while the girls of the same ages have higher scores with a scale reduced to 4 items for the group of 8-year-olds, and the than the boys in satisfaction with how they use their free time. other with a scale of 7 items for the groups of 10- and 12-year-olds.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 35 14/01/2019 12:21:38 In general, it can be observed that the scores of subjective well-being Nuclear affects decrease with age, regardless of the measurement instrument used, with The participants of 10 and 12 years of age answered how they had felt the exception of the SLSS, which shows the highest score in the group of during the previous two weeks: “satisfied”, “happy”, “relaxed”, “active”, 10-year-olds (Figure 20). “calm” and “full of energy”. The highest mean scores are observed for the response “happy” and the lowest for “calm”, in both age groups. The Figure 20. 0 to 100 scores on the psychometric scales of subjective well- mean scores are always higher for the 10-year-olds than for 12-year-olds being (means) (Figure 22). 100 Figure 22. Scores for nuclear affects according to age group and gender 95 93,07 92,51 92,23 92,43 91,18 91,04 (means) 90,1 90 87,88 88,27 87,81 100 84,86 85,4 95,1 94,9 85 94,9

80 92,1 91,1 90,9 90,6 89,1 87,6 87,4 87,3 82 85,8 85,5 84,9 84,8 83,1 81,3 78,4 77,8 80 76,5 72,4

60 72,1 69,9

75 40 OLS SLSS BMSLSS PWI-SC 8 years 10 years 12 years 20

The OLS is the psychometric scale that shows the highest percentage of 0 Satisfied Happy Relaxed Active Calm Full of energy boys and girls with extreme scores, that is, participants who score 100 10 years boys 10 years girls 12 years boys 12 years girls out of 100. The percentage of students who have extremely high scores decreases with age (Figure 21). Sub-scales of the General Domain Satisfaction Index (GDSI) Figure 21. Extreme scores of the psychometric scales of subjective well- being (percentages) The General Domain Satisfaction Index (GDSI: Casas and Bello, 2012)7 is calculated for 31 items of the questionnaire and divided into 8 sub-scales: 100 home and family, material things, relationships, area of living, health, time 82,1 80 use, school and personal aspects. 68,3

60 54,9 The three GDSI sub-scales that show the highest means are: first of all, 45,4 45 46,7 in all three age groups, the sub-scale of material things; secondly, the 40 31,9 time use sub-scale among the 8-year-olds and health among the 10- and 22,2 18 20 16,6 12-year-olds; and in third place, home and family in all the age groups. 8,1 9,4 The participants of 8 and 10 years of age had the lowest satisfaction on 0 OLS SLSS BMSLSS PWI-SC the school sub-scale and the 12-year-olds on the area of living sub-scale 8 years 10 years 12 years (Figure 23).

7 Casas, F., & Bello, A. (coord.). (2012). Calidad de vida y bienestar infantil subjetivo en España. ¿Qué afecta al bienestar de los niños y niñas españoles de 1º de ESO? Madrid: UNICEF España. 36 37

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 36 14/01/2019 12:21:38 In general, it can be observed that the scores of subjective well-being Nuclear affects decrease with age, regardless of the measurement instrument used, with The participants of 10 and 12 years of age answered how they had felt the exception of the SLSS, which shows the highest score in the group of during the previous two weeks: “satisfied”, “happy”, “relaxed”, “active”, 10-year-olds (Figure 20). “calm” and “full of energy”. The highest mean scores are observed for the response “happy” and the lowest for “calm”, in both age groups. The Figure 20. 0 to 100 scores on the psychometric scales of subjective well- mean scores are always higher for the 10-year-olds than for 12-year-olds being (means) (Figure 22). 100 Figure 22. Scores for nuclear affects according to age group and gender 95 93,07 92,51 92,23 92,43 91,18 91,04 (means) 90,1 90 87,88 88,27 87,81 100 84,86 85,4 95,1 85 94,9 94,9

80 92,1 91,1 90,9 90,6 89,1 87,6 87,4 87,3 82 85,8 85,5 84,9 84,8 83,1 81,3 78,4 77,8 80 76,5 72,4

60 72,1 69,9

75 40 OLS SLSS BMSLSS PWI-SC 8 years 10 years 12 years 20

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 37 14/01/2019 12:21:38 Figure 23. Scores on the sub-scales of the GDSI according to age (means)

100

80 95,73 93,92 93,77 93,71 92,75 92,32 88,8 91,62 90,81 90,68 90,29 89,66 89,62 89,09 88,91 88,61 88,03 87,57 87,04 86,57 85,48 83,99 79,99 60 77,86

0 Home and Material things Relationships Area of living Health Time use School Personal family 8 years 10 years 12 years

CONCLUSIONS

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 38 14/01/2019 12:21:39 Figure 23. Scores on the sub-scales of the GDSI according to age (means)

100

80 95,73 93,92 93,77 93,71 92,75 92,32 88,8 91,62 90,81 90,68 90,29 89,66 89,62 89,09 88,91 88,61 88,03 87,57 87,04 86,57 85,48 83,99 79,99 60 77,86

0 Home and Material things Relationships Area of living Health Time use School Personal family 8 years 10 years 12 years

CONCLUSIONS

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 39 14/01/2019 12:21:39 Until now we have presented the results obtained with a representative sample of students of 8, 10 and 12 years of age from Catalonia. In conclusion, we want to highlight:

Representative sample

We cannot forget to point out that the data presented here come from a representative sample and not from the entire population of boys and girls of the age groups studied. In other words, 1% of the participants in our survey represent 2,213 boys and girls of the general population. If we say, for example, that “only” 8.7% of children report that during previous weeks schoolmates have hit them more than three times, we are talking about an estimated figure of 19,253 boys and girls in this situation, which is a worrisome piece of data. We must be very cautious, then, about how we interpret the results, because it all depends on whether or not we want to focus on the situation of the majority or if we think that what should be done is identify the minorities that perceive significantly less -sub jective well-being than the mean. If we only look at the situation of the majority of the population of Catalan children, the data sug- gests we should be satisfied and not do anything, or that little work needs to be done. On the other hand, if we focus on the sub-sets of the population of children and adolescents with lower scores in different subject areas, we see many challenges and responsi- bilities. Interventions are needed to improve situations that affect thousands of children in Catalonia and to create political and social initiatives to achieve positive changes.

Catalan children have a good life and say they are happy and that their level of subjective well-being is very high

The results referred to above describe a scene in which a majority of boys and girls of Catalonia report high subjective well-being in different domains of their lives.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 40 14/01/2019 12:21:39 Until now we have presented the results obtained with a representative sample of students of 8, 10 and 12 years of age from Catalonia. In conclusion, we want to highlight:

Representative sample

Catalan children have a good life and say they are happy and that their level of subjective well-being is very high

The results referred to above describe a scene in which a majority of boys and girls of Catalonia report high subjective well-being in different domains of their lives.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 41 14/01/2019 12:21:39 The levels of well-being are not distributed uniformly

The analyses reached, taking into account different sociodemogra- phic variables, such as age group (8, 10 and 12 years) and gender, and others like the context or location of the school (urban, semi-urban or rural), the ownership of the school (public or private), the number of things they lack and the place of birth (Catalonia, other regions of Spain or in a foreign country), reflect that the levels of well-being are not distributed uniformly. The lowest means, to which effort and attention must dedicated, and which may reflect situations of inequity or inequality of opportunities, correspond to sub-groups such as children born out of Spain, the oldest ones, the boys and girls that report a lack of material goods and students from schools in urban areas. The following people have participated in the Children’s Worlds More intensive support is needed in the transition from primary research project that has led to this report: to secondary school Sara Malo, Dolors Navarro, Carme Montserrat, Ferran Viñas, Carles Alsinet, Gemma Crous, Mireia Baena and Mireia Aligué. The results related to school indicate that there is much to improve in the levels of well-being, especially in boys of all ages, where the Additional collaborators were levels are only moderate. Support in school should be more intensi- Clara Sisteró, Mª Alba Forné, Stefania Carneiro, ve during the transition from primary to secondary education, since Desirée Abreu, Laia Casas, James Ferreira, this period coincides with a decrease in levels of subjective well- Merche Martín and Cristina Figuer. being in both genders.

Changing attitudes among adults towards children and promotion of their participation

The results invite reflection on and suggest that special attention be paid to the necessary change of attitude in adults towards children, ensuring that children are taken into account in all aspects having an impact on their own lives.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 42 14/01/2019 12:21:39 The levels of well-being are not distributed uniformly

The analyses reached, taking into account different sociodemogra- phic variables, such as age group (8, 10 and 12 years) and gender, and others like the context or location of the school (urban,- se mi-urban or rural), the ownership of the school (public or private), the number of things they lack and the place of birth (Catalonia, other regions of Spain or in a foreign country), reflect that the levels of well-being are not distributed uniformly. The lowest means, to which effort and attention must dedicated, and which may reflect situations of inequity or inequality of opportunities, correspond to sub-groups such as children born out of Spain, the oldest ones, the boys and girls that report a lack of material goods and students from schools in urban areas. The following people have participated in the Children’s Worlds More intensive support is needed in the transition from primary research project that has led to this report: to secondary school Sara Malo, Dolors Navarro, Carme Montserrat, Ferran Viñas, Carles Alsinet, Gemma Crous, Mireia Baena and Mireia Aligué. The results related to school indicate that there is much to improve in the levels of well-being, especially in boys of all ages, where the Additional collaborators were levels are only moderate. Support in school should be more intensi- Clara Sisteró, Mª Alba Forné, Stefania Carneiro, ve during the transition from primary to secondary education, since Desirée Abreu, Laia Casas, James Ferreira, this period coincides with a decrease in levels of subjective well- Merche Martín and Cristina Figuer. being in both genders.

Changing attitudes among adults towards children and promotion of their participation

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 43 14/01/2019 12:21:39 We appreciate the collaboration of the educational centres that have participated in the research and that of the children who have contributed their va- luable points of view. Institut Fonts del Glorieta (Alcover) Institució Familiar d’Educació Terraferma (Alpicat) Escola La Portalada (Altafulla) Institut Castell d’Estela (Amer) Institut Domènec Perramon (Arenys de Munt) Escola Les Fonts (Argentona) Escola La Miranda – ZER Ports-Algars (Arnes) Escola Vedruna (Artés) Escola Sant Miquel (Ascó) Escola Betúlia (Badalona) Escola Nen Jesús de Praga (Badalona) Centre escolar Roig Tesalia (Barcelona) Escola Àgora (Barcelona) Escola Felip Neri (Barcelona) Escola Vedruna Àngels (Barcelona) Escola Voramar (Barcelona) Institut Oriol Martorell (Barcelona) Institut Rambla Prim (Barcelona) Institut Roger de Flor (Barcelona) Institut Vall d’Hebron (Barcelona) Escola Santa Maria (Blanes) Escola de Butsènit - ZER El Sió (Butsènit d’Urgell) Institut La Mar de la Frau (Cambrils) Escola Sant Isidre - ZER Les Vinyes (Capçanes) Institut Josep Lluís Sert (Castelldefels) Institut Castelló d’Empúries (Castelló d’Empúries) Escola Jaume Balmes (Cervera) Institut la Segarra (Cervera) Escola La Vall del Terri (Cornellà de Terri) Institut Montsant (Cornudella de Montsant) Escola Sant Feliu - ZER Les Vinyes (Els Guiamets) Institut El Castell (Esparraguera) Escola Joaquim Cusí i Furtunet (Figueres) Institut Ramon Muntaner (Figueres) Escola de Garrigàs – ZER L’Empordà (Garrigàs) Escola Sagrada Família (Girona) Escola Pia (Granollers) Escola Aqua Alba (Gualba) Escola Sant Sebastià – ZER Serra Llarga (Ivars de Noguera) Escola Ull del Vent (La Bisbal del Penedès) Escola Les Planes (La Llagosta) Escola Els Raiers (La Pobla de Segur) Escola Montoliu (La Riera de Gaià) Escola Sant Rafael (La Selva del Camp) Escola Josep Riba - ZER Les Vinyes (La Serra d’Almos) Institut Josep Vallverdú (Les Borges Blanques) Institut Fontanelles (Les Borges del Camp) Escola Colors (Les Franqueses del Vallès) Escola de Les Ventoses - ZER El Sió (Les Ventoses) Institut Eugeni d’Ors (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat) Institut Rubió i Ors (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat) Escola Sant Joan XXIII (Lleida) Escola Ginebró (Llinars del Vallès) Escola El Segrià - ZER L’Horta de Lleida (Llívia) Institut Guillem Catà (Manresa) Institut Maçanet de la Selva (Maçanet de la Selva)

Without them, the Children’s Worlds project in Catalonia would not have been possible.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 44 14/01/2019 12:21:39 We appreciate the collaboration of the educational centres that have participated in the research and that of the children who have contributed their va- luable points of view. Institut Fonts del Glorieta (Alcover) Escola Renaixença - ZER Serra d’Ancosa (Mediona) Institució Familiar d’Educació Terraferma (Alpicat) Escola Mont Cós – ZER El Llierca (Montagut i Oix) Escola La Portalada (Altafulla) Institut de Navarcles (Navarcles) Institut Castell d’Estela (Amer) Institut Aubenç (Oliana) Institut Domènec Perramon (Arenys de Munt) Escola Leandre Cristòfol – ZER Montsec (Os de Balaguer) Escola Les Fonts (Argentona) Escola Carrilet (Palafrugell) Escola La Miranda – ZER Ports-Algars (Arnes) Acadèmia Apiària (Piera) Escola Vedruna (Artés) Institut de Polinyà (Polinyà) Escola Sant Miquel (Ascó) Escola Frigolet (Porqueres) Escola Betúlia (Badalona) Escola de Preixens - ZER El Sió (Preixens) Escola Nen Jesús de Praga (Badalona) Escola Sant Cristòfol (Premià de Mar) Centre escolar Roig Tesalia (Barcelona) Escola Vedruna (Puigcerdà) Escola Àgora (Barcelona) Escola de Puigverd - ZER El Sió (Puigverd d’Agramunt) Escola Felip Neri (Barcelona) Escola Doctor Alberich i Casas (Reus) Escola Vedruna Àngels (Barcelona) Institut Escola Pi del Burgar (Reus) Escola Voramar (Barcelona) Escola Salesians Ripoll (Ripoll) Institut Oriol Martorell (Barcelona) Escola Montserrat Vayreda (Roses) Institut Rambla Prim (Barcelona) Escola Nostra Senyora de Montserrat (Rubí) Institut Roger de Flor (Barcelona) Escola Roureda (Sabadell) Institut Vall d’Hebron (Barcelona) Escola Santa Clara (Sabadell) Escola Santa Maria (Blanes) Escola Josep Nin (Salomó) Escola de Butsènit - ZER El Sió (Butsènit d’Urgell) Escola Vora Mar (Salou) Institut La Mar de la Frau (Cambrils) Institut Salvador Espriu (Salt) Escola Sant Isidre - ZER Les Vinyes (Capçanes) Escola Parellada (Sant Boi de Llobregat) Institut Josep Lluís Sert (Castelldefels) Institut Els Alfacs (Sant Carles de la Ràpita) Institut Castelló d’Empúries (Castelló d’Empúries) Institut Sant Elm (Sant Feliu de Guíxols) Escola Jaume Balmes (Cervera) Escola Verge de la Salut (Sant Feliu de Llobregat) Institut la Segarra (Cervera) Institut Anton Busquets i Punset (Sant Hilari de Sacalm) Escola La Vall del Terri (Cornellà de Terri) Escola Montseny (Sant Just Desvern) Institut Montsant (Cornudella de Montsant) Escola El Turonet (Sant Quirze del Vallès) Escola Sant Feliu - ZER Les Vinyes (Els Guiamets) Escola Ferran de Segarra (Santa Coloma de Gramanet) Institut El Castell (Esparraguera) Escola Pallaresa (Santa Coloma de Gramanet) Escola Joaquim Cusí i Furtunet (Figueres) Escola Sagrada Família (Santa Coloma de Gramanet) Institut Ramon Muntaner (Figueres) Institut Joan Segura i Valls (Santa Coloma de Queralt) Escola de Garrigàs – ZER L’Empordà (Garrigàs) Escola Sant Domènec (Santa Margarida i els Monjos) Escola Sagrada Família (Girona) Institut Rovira-Forns (Santa Perpètua de Mogoda) Escola Pia (Granollers) Escola Bora Gran – ZER Les Goges (Serinyà) Escola Aqua Alba (Gualba) Escola Miquel Baró Daban (Seròs) Escola Sant Sebastià – ZER Serra Llarga (Ivars de Noguera) FEDAC Súria (Súria) Escola Ull del Vent (La Bisbal del Penedès) Escola El Serrallo (Tarragona) Escola Les Planes (La Llagosta) Escola La Salle (Tarragona) Escola Els Raiers (La Pobla de Segur) Institut Pons d’Icart (Tarragona) Escola Montoliu (La Riera de Gaià) Escola Pia (Tàrrega) Escola Sant Rafael (La Selva del Camp) Institut Alfons Costafreda (Tàrrega) Escola Josep Riba - ZER Les Vinyes (La Serra d’Almos) Escola El Cim (Terrassa) Institut Josep Vallverdú (Les Borges Blanques) Escola Francesc Aldea Pérez (Terrassa) Institut Fontanelles (Les Borges del Camp) Escola L’Antina (Torredembarra) Escola Colors (Les Franqueses del Vallès) Institut Vallbona d’Anoia (Vallbona d’Anoia) Escola de Les Ventoses - ZER El Sió (Les Ventoses) Escola Jardí – ZER Guicivervi (Verdú) Institut Eugeni d’Ors (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat) Institut Escola Francesc Cambó i Batlle (Verges) Institut Rubió i Ors (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat) FEDAC Pare Coll (Vic) Escola Sant Joan XXIII (Lleida) Escola Goar (Viladecans) Escola Ginebró (Llinars del Vallès) Escola Pau Boada (Vilafranca del Penedès) Escola El Segrià - ZER L’Horta de Lleida (Llívia) Escola Josep de Ribot i Olivas (Vilamalla) Institut Guillem Catà (Manresa) Escola de Xerta (Xerta) Institut Maçanet de la Selva (Maçanet de la Selva)

Without them, the Children’s Worlds project in Catalonia would not have been possible.

INTERIOR BENESTAR SUBJECTIU eng.indd 45 14/01/2019 12:21:39 L’ERIDIQV (www.udg.edu/eridiqv) is one of four research groups coordinating the international project Children’s Worlds (www.isciweb.org), promoted by the International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI). The Children’s Worlds project aims to gather reliable and representative data, from as many countries as possible, on children’s lives, their daily activities, how they spend their time and, in particular, how they perceive and evaluate their own well-being. This is done to improve their quality of life by raising the awareness in the children themselves, in their families and in the communities where they live, as well as in politicians and in institutions, among professionals and, finally, in the general population (Rees and Main, 2015).

The subjective well-being of children in Catalonia

A study of 3rd and 5th years of primary school and 1st year of compulsory secondary education

ERIDIQV Affiliated to Research Institute on Quality of Life

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