Children who live in poverty are more likely to be solitary and to fall out with friends or be bullied according to new analysis of age 11 sweep data from the Millennium Cohort Study, published by the National Children's Bureau. This study was commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and was delivered in partnership with the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) at the UCL Institute of Education. Download the full research report or a summary available at www.jrf.org.uk
Using data from the Age 11 sweep of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS5), the study explored associations between poverty and measures of children's relationships with peers and with parents. MCS5 comprises a large sample of over 13,000 children aged 10-12 years in the UK, and includes variables measuring both children's and parents' feelings about their relationships, and children's experience of relationships with peers. The large sample allows the detection of much smaller effects of poverty than has been possible in previous research using UK datasets.
The overarching aim of the study was to consider what role, if any, does low income play in shaping the quality of children's relationships with parents, peers and siblings?
The research began in January 2015, and involves bivariate and multivariate analyses, measuring the role of poverty alongside other relevant predictors of child outcomes. A final report was produced in March 2016.
