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Publication - Research and analysis

Life at age 14: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study

Published
15 February 2022
Directorate
Children and Families Directorate
Part of
Arts, culture and sport, Children and families, Education, +2 more … Health and social care, Work and skills
ISBN
9781802018240

Growing Up in Scotland is a longitudinal study following the lives of young people. The report is based on data collected in 2019/20, when participants were 14 years, from 2,943 families. The report presents high level findings relating to young people’s experiences across a range of life domains.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

4. Relationship with peers, peer pressure and bullying

This section includes findings from questions about relationships with peers, as well as questions about bullying, peer pressure and sexual relationships and experience.

4.1 Relationships with peers

Young people were asked how they got on with their friends, through a list of statements shown in Figure 19. The vast majority reported their friends 'always' or 'often' paid attention to them (85.1%), and it was 'always' or 'often' true that their friends 'listened to what they had to say' (84.4%), and that they could 'count on their friends to help them when they had a problem' (81%).

Figure 19 – How true young people felt each peer relationship statement to be
This chart shows the proportions of how true young people felt six different peer relationship statements to be. 40.4% of young people said it was “always true” that if their friends know something is bothering them, they ask them about it, whilst 38.3% said it was “always true” that they talk to their friends when they are having a problem and 30.9% said it was “always true” that they share their thoughts and feeling with their friends.

Base: All young people (2628)

Girls were more likely to respond 'always true' for each statement;

  • My friends listen to what I have to say – 48.7%, compared with 37.5% of boys.
  • I can count on my friends to help when I have a problem – 57.3%, compared with 43.2% of boys.
  • I talk to my friends when I'm having a problem – 46.4%, compared with 30.1%.
  • If my friends know something is bothering me they ask – 52%, compared with 28.8% of boys.
  • I share thoughts and feelings with my friends – 39.7%, compared with 21.9% of boys.
  • My friends pay attention to me – 52.7%, compared with 42.2% of boys.

Disabled young people were less likely to say it was 'always true' for each statement:

  • My friends listen to what I have to say (35.9%, compared with 44.4%)
  • I can count on my friends to help when they have a problem (37.8%, compared with 52.5%)
  • I talk to my friends when I'm having a problem (31.5%, compared with 39.5%)
  • If my friends know something is bothering me they ask (32.7%, compared with 41.8%)
  • I share thoughts and feelings with my friends (21%, compared with 32.6%)
  • My friends pay attention to me (34.8%, compared with 49.8%).

A similar set of questions were asked to young people about their parents (see section 3.1). As shown in Figure 20, young people were more likely to respond that it was 'always true' for each statement when referring to their parents compared with when the statements referred to their friends.

Figure 20 – Proportion of young people who felt each statement was 'always true' about their parents and their friends
This chart compares the proportions of young people who felt each relationship statement about their parents and their friends to be “always true”. Higher proportions of young people responded “always true” for each of the six relationship statements in relation to their parents, compared to their relation with their peers. For instance, 70.8% of young people said it was “always true” that they can count on their parents to help them when they have a problem, whilst “50.3%” said this was “always true” for their peers.

Base: All young people with a parent living in household who were happy to answer questions about their relationship with their parent 1 (2626-2627), All young people (2628)

4.2 Peer pressure – young person

Young people were asked how pressured they felt by their friends or people they knew to do certain things. As shown in Figure 21, the majority of young people said they felt 'not at all' pressured by their friends. However, one third (32.9%) said they felt 'a little' or 'a lot / quite a lot' pressured to act tough or hard, whilst two in five (40%) felt 'a little' or 'a lot / quite a lot' pressured to look or dress a certain way.

Figure 21 – How pressured young people feel by their friends to do certain things
This chart shows the proportions of how pressured young people felt by their friends to do six different things (take drugs, have sex, cause trouble or get into fights, break the rules at school or home, act tough or hard, look or dress a certain way). 80.3%– 92.6% of young people said they felt “not at all” pressured to take drugs (92.6%), have sex (89.9%), cause trouble or get into fights (87.1), or break the rules at school or home (80.3%), and 60.0%– 67.1% said they felt “not at all” pressured to act tough or (67.1%) look or dress a certain way (60.0%).

Base: All young people (2632-2633)

Boys were more likely to say they felt 'a lot', 'quite a lot' or 'a little' pressure to act tough or hard (36.3%, compared with 29.6% of girls), to break rules at school and at home (23%, compared with 16.5% of girls) and to cause trouble or get into fights (17.5%, compared with 8.4% of girls).

Conversely, girls were more likely to say they felt pressured to look or dress a certain way', with 45.8% saying they felt 'a lot, 'quite a lot' or 'a little' pressure, compared with 34.2% of boys.

4.3 Bullying and discrimination – young person

Young people were asked how other young people may have treated them by doing any of the things listed in Figure 22. Most young people said they had not been bullied by other young people in these ways. However, half (49.1%) said they had been picked on by being called names or been made fun of in a way they didn't like, and just under one in five were picked on in this way at least once a week or more. A small proportion said they had been picked on at least once a week or more through other behaviours.

Figure 22 – How often young people have experienced each type of bullying
This chart shows the proportions of how often young people have experienced four different types of bullying (calling you names or making fun of you in a way that you don’t like, leaving you out of games and chats, shoving, pushing, hitting or picking a fight with you, sending messages or posting things online). Between 75.7%–85.7% of young people said they had “never” experienced being left out of games and chats (75.7%), being shoved, pushed, hit or picked a fight (84.3%), and being sent messages or posted things online (85.7%).

Base: All young people (2626-2630)

There were differences between girls and boys, with girls were more likely to say that they had experienced bullying through:

  • Name calling (52.1%, compared with 46.1% of boys)
  • Being left out of games/chats (26.7%, compared with 21.9% of boys)
  • Messages/posting online (17.4%, compared with 11.1% of boys).

Whereas boys were more likely to say they had experienced shoving, pushing, hitting or picking a fight (19.3%, compared with 12.2% of girls).

Disabled young people were more likely to say they had experienced bullying through:

  • Name calling (60.3%, compared with 47.2% of non-disabled young people)
  • Being left out of games/chats (29.5%, compared with 23.5% of non-disabled young people)
  • Being shoved, pushed hit or picked in a fight (23.8%, compared with 14.4% of non-disabled young people).

Young people were asked how often they picked on others. The majority (82.2%) said they never picked on others, whilst small minorities picked on others 'most days' (1.3%), 'about once a week' (2.4%), or 'about once a month' (2.9%). A further 11.3% said they picked on others 'every few months.'

Boys were more likely to say that they had picked on others (21.8%, compared with 14% of girls).

4.3.1 Discrimination – young person

When asked whether anyone had treated them unfairly, the majority (70.4%) of young people said others had not treated them unfairly because of any of the characteristics shown in Figure 23[8]. Around one fifth said they were treated unfairly because of their body shape, size or physical appearance, whilst smaller proportions said they were treated unfairly because of other individual characteristics.

Figure 23 – Whether young people had experienced types of discrimination
This chart shows the proportions of whether young people had experienced being discriminated because of their body shape, size or physical appearance, a disability or additional support needs, their sexual orientation, their religion, race or ethnicity, or their gender identity. 22.0% of young people said they had experienced discrimination because of their body shape, size or physical appearance, whilst between 2.2%– 4.7% had experienced discrimination because of a disability or additional support needs (4.7%), their sexual orientation (3.4%), their religion, race or ethnicity (2.5%), or their gender identity (2.2%).

Base: All young people (2614)

Girls were more likely than boys to say that they had been treated unfairly because of their body shape (24.5%, compared with 19.4%), their sexual orientation (5.1%, compared with 1.6%) and their gender identity (3%, compared with 1.4%).

Disabled young people were more likely than non-disabled young people to say they had been treated unfairly because of:

  • Their body shape, size or physical appearance (27.7%, compared with 21.1%)
  • Their disability or additional support needs (15.6%, compared with 2.8%)
  • Their sexual orientation (5.1%, compared with 3.1%)
  • Their gender identity (4.3%, compared with 1.9%).

4.4 Gender identity and sexual orientation

Young people were asked how they thought of themselves in terms of their gender identity; 49.8% said they considered themselves to be a man/boy, 49.4% said women/girl and 0.8% said 'in another way'.

When asked how they thought of themselves in terms of sexual orientation, the vast majority of young people (89.3%) answered 'straight/heterosexual', whilst 1.2% identified as 'gay or lesbian', 7.3 % as 'bisexual' and 2.2% 'in another way.'

Boys were more likely to say they identified as 'straight/heterosexual' (95%, compared with 84% of girls). Disabled young people were less likely to say they identified as 'straight/heterosexual' (82.6%), compared with non-disabled young people (90.5%).

4.5 Relationships and sexual experience

Three out of ten (30%) young people had a boyfriend or girlfriend in the last 12 months that they went out with for at least three months; 70% had not.

Disabled young people were less likely to say they had 'a boyfriend or girlfriend at the moment' (25.1%, compared with 30.9% of non-disabled young people).

Young people in SIMD quintiles 1, 2 and 3 were more likely to say they had a boyfriend or girlfriend (36.3%, 31.6% and 33.9% respectively) compared with those in quintile 5 (22.7%).

Young people were asked how much, if any, sexual experience they had. As shown in Figure 24, two thirds said they had no sexual experience, whilst 9.5% said they had 'some experience, but not sexual intercourse' or 'more experience, including sexual intercourse'. A further quarter said they had a 'small amount' of experience.

Figure 24 – How much sexual experience young people had
This chart shows the proportions of how much sexual experience a young person has had. Two out of three (66.2%) of young people said they had no sexual experience, whilst 4.0% said they had more experience, including sexual intercourse.

Base: All young people (2635)

Disabled young people were more likely to say they had 'no sexual experience (73.5%, compared with 64.9% of non-disabled young people).

Those who said they had 'more sexual experience' or 'some sexual experience' were asked whether they had ever had sex without a condom. Those with 'more sexual experience' were asked if they had ever had sex without using any form of protection or contraception, and how old they were the first time they had sexual intercourse.

For those who reported 'more/some sexual experience', 27.8%[9] had ever had sex without a condom. For those who reported 'more sexual experience' just over one third (34%) said they had ever had sexual intercourse without using any form of protection or contraception[10].

Young people with more sexual experience were asked how old they were the first time they had sexual intercourse; the majority (69.2%[11]) said they were aged 14, whilst 19.7% were 13 years old or younger, and 11.1% were 15 years old[12].

4.6 Sexual health and behaviour – parent/main carer

Parents were asked how often they (or their partner) had spoken to their child about the range of issues relating to sex. The full text is shown below, with abbreviations used in Figure 25:

  • Sex, including sexual intercourse.
  • How to behave in relation to people he/she might be sexually attracted to, and/or how to respond to sexual advances.
  • Contraception to protect against pregnancy.
  • Safe sex or sexually transmitted infections (also sometimes referred to as STIs).
  • His/her sexual orientation (e.g. homosexuality, heterosexuality, etc.).

As shown in Figure 25, the majority of parents said they had spoken to their child more than once about 'sex, including sexual intercourse' and 'how to behave in relation to people he/she might be sexually attracted to, and/or how to respond to sexual advances.' Just under four in ten parents said they had never discussed 'contraception to protect against pregnancy', 'safe sex or sexually transmitted infections' or his/her sexual orientation'.

Figure 25 – How often parent has spoken to child about sex and sexual behaviour
This chart shows the proportions of how often a parent has spoken to their child about five different issues relating to sex and sexual behaviour. Proportions of parents who said they had spoken about a specific issue “more than once” were 63.2% (spoken about sex and sexual intercourse), 50.7% (spoken about sexual attraction), 42.0% (spoken about contraception), 38.5% (spoken about safe sex or STIs) and 47.6% (spoken about sexual orientation).

Base: All parents/main carers (2747-2748)

Parents of boys were more likely than parents of girls to say they had 'never' talked to their child about;

  • Sex and sexual intercourse (23%, compared with 15.5%)
  • Sexual attraction (32.5%, compared with 27.2%)
  • Contraception (38.8%, compared with 33%).

Conversely, parents of disabled young people were more likely than parents of non-disabled young people to say they had talked 'more than once' to their child about all of the statements shown;

  • Sex overall (68.6%, compared with 62.1%)
  • Sexual attraction (57.6%, compared with 49.6%)
  • Contraception (50.5%, compared with 40.5%)
  • Safe sex (43.6%, compared with 37.6%)
  • Sexual orientation (57.6%, compared with 45.8%).

Contact

Email: GUS@gov.scot

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