Life at age 17: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study (Sweep 11)

7 Relationships

This chapter includes findings from questions asked about young people’s relationship with their parents. Information about young people’s caring responsibilities is also covered. This chapter also then covers findings about relationships with peers, bullying, peer pressure and sexual relationships and experience.

7.1 Parent-child relationships

7.1.1 Perception of parent relationship

Young people were asked to respond to a series of statements about their relationship with their parents^[13]. As shown in Figure 7‑A, most young people said their parent ‘always’ listened to what they had to say (57.2%), that they could ‘always’ count on them (66%) and that their parent ‘always’ paid attention to them (61.4%). They were less likely to say it was ‘always’ true that they talked to their parent when they had a problem (31.8%) or ‘always’ shared their thoughts and feelings with them (26.1%).

Base: All young people (varies per item 1928-1930)

Young men were more likely than young women to say it was ‘always true’ that their parent listened to what they had to say (62.1% compared with 53.2%), that they could count on their parent when they had a problem (69.9% compared with 62.8%) and that their parent paid attention to them (66.8% compared with 57.1%). However, young women were more likely to say it was ‘always true’ that they shared their thoughts and feelings with their parent (30.2% compared with 21.3%).

Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to say it was ‘always true’ that their parent listened to what they had to say (45.1% compared with 61.1%), that they could count on their parent when they had a problem (51.4% compared with 69.5%) and that their parent paid attention to them (47.0% compared with 65.7%).

7.1.2 Contact with non-household parents

A little under one quarter of young people (24.2%) reported having a parent who lived somewhere else^[14]. For almost all these young people (92.4%), it was their biological father who lived elsewhere.

Around half (46.2%) of young people who had a parent living elsewhere saw that parent at least once a week including 22.7% who saw them three to four times a week or more often^[15]. Around one in five (19.6%) saw their other parent at least once a month and 15.6% less often than once a month. Slightly less than one in five (18.6%) never saw their parent who lived elsewhere.

Young people were also asked about contact by telephone, text or email, or via apps like FaceTime or WhatsApp. Almost one quarter (23.1%) of young people with a parent living elsewhere had this form of contact with them every day and a further quarter (23.9%) did so between three and six times a week. A little less than one in five (17.8%) of young people with a parent living elsewhere had no contact with them in this way.

Most young people with a parent living elsewhere did not want to change how often they saw them but were content to see them as often as they did now (57.3%). However, 30.0% would have liked to see their parent more often and 12.8% less often.

7.2 Caring responsibilities

Young people were asked whether they looked after or gave any regular help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or others because of either a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability or problems related to old age – 11.6% did so.

Having caring responsibilities was more common among young disabled people than young non-disabled people (15.9% compared with 9.8%). It was also more common among young people living in the more deprived areas than in the less deprived areas. For example, 15.7% in SIMD 1 (the least deprived quintile) reported having caring responsibilities compared with 7.7% in SIMD 5.

As shown in Figure 7‑B, two-thirds (66.3%) of young people with caring responsibilities spent less than 10 hours a week doing these activities. A sizeable minority (30.4%) spent more than 10 hours per week. A small proportion (3.5%) said it varied too much to say.

All who had caring responsibilities (247)

7.3 Relationship with peers

To measure young people’s relationships with their peers, they were asked a selection of items from The People in My Life, Peer Attachment Scale (Figure 7‑C).

Base: All young people (varies per item 1923-1925)

The majority said it was ‘always true’ or ‘often true’ that their friends paid attention to them (83.4%), listened to what they had to say (82.0%) that they could count on their friends to help them when they had a problem (77.5%), and that their friends would ask them about something they knew was bothering them (68.7%). A smaller proportion said it was ‘always true’ or ‘often true’ they could talk to their friends when they were having a problem (59.5%) or share their thoughts and feelings with their friends (58.2%).

Young women were more likely than young men to say it was ‘always true’ that:

• Their friends listened to what they had to say (41.3% and 35.1% respectively)
• They can count on their friends to help them when they have a problem (46.0% and 38.0% respectively)
• They talk to their friends when they have a problem (33.3% and 22.2% respectively)
• Their friend would ask them about something they knew was bothering them (40.9% and 27.0% respectively)
• They share their thoughts and feelings with their friends (31.7% and 19.3% respectively).

7.4 Victimisation and discrimination

7.4.1 Victimisation

Presented with a list of adverse behaviours and experiences (Figure 7‑D), young people were asked if they had experienced any of these in the last 12 months. Half of young people (49.8%) said they had not experienced any of these behaviours.

Base: All young people (1924)

Young women were more likely than young men to have experienced having someone:

• Spread gossip about them, ignore them or other emotional abuse (36.0% compared with 21.5%)
• Make an unwelcome sexual approach (20.9% compared with 4.3%)
• Harass or bother them via mobile phone, email or social media (15.9% compared with 8.7%)
• Sexually assault them (9.1% compared with 1.0%).

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to have experienced each of these things:

• Been insulted, called names, threatened or shouted at in a public place/school/college etc. (41.8% compared with 32.5%)
• Had gossip spread about them, been ignored you, or experienced other emotional abuse (35.6% compared with 27.0%)
• Had an unwelcome sexual approach made (19.8% compared with 11.5%)
• Been harassed or bothered via mobile phone, email or social media (17.5% compared with 11.3%)
• Been subjected to physical violence, e.g. pushed, shoved, hit, slapped or punched (22.6% compared with 9.3%)
• Had pictures or rumours about them sent via phone, email, social media or online (10.8% compared with 4.8%)
• Been sexually assaulted (10.6% compared with 3.6%)
• Had something stolen from them, e.g. a mobile phone, money etc. (8.3% compared with 3.8%)
• Been hit you with a weapon or had a weapon used against them (5.8% compared with 1.9%).

7.4.2 Discrimination

When asked whether they had been treated unfairly because of a range of characteristics, 76.3% of young people said they had not experienced anyone treating them unfairly in the last 12 months because of any of the different characteristics listed (shown in Figure 7‑E). The most common reasons young people gave for having been treated unfairly were because of their sex or gender (8.3%) or their age (7.0%).

Base: All young people (2355)

Young women were more likely than young men to have been treated unfairly in the last 12 months because of:

• Their sex or gender (14.2% compared with 2.1%)
• Their age (8.4% compared with 5.5%)
• Their mental ill-health (7.6% compared with 2.9%)
• Their sexual orientation (6.8% compared with 2.7%)
• The amount of money they or they family had (4.7% compared with 2.3%).

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to say they had been treated unfairly in the last 12 months because of several of these characteristics:

• Their mental ill-health (15.6% compared with 2.4%)
• Any other health problems or disabilities (14.5% compared with 1.0%)
• Their sex or gender (12.5% compared with 7.8%)
• Their sexual orientation (10.9% compared with 3.3%)
• The amount of money they or they family had (7.9% compared with 2.2%)
• Other reasons (6.4% compared with 1.2%).

Young people in more deprived areas were more likely than those in less deprived areas to say they had been treated unfairly because of the amount of money they/their family had (6.3% in SIMD 1 compared with 2.1% in SIMD 5) and because of sectarian reasons (4.5% in SIMD 1 compared with 1.1% in SIMD 5).

7.5 Gender identity and sexual orientation

Young people were asked about their gender identity: 52.1% thought of themselves as a ‘woman/girl’, 45.0% as a ‘man/boy’ and 2.9% described themselves ‘in another way’.

Young people were also asked if they considered themselves to be trans or have a trans history, 4.1% said they did. Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to consider themselves to be trans or have a trans history (8.2% compared with 3.0%).

When asked about their sexual orientation, 74.2% of young people identified as ‘straight/heterosexual’ and 13.3% as ‘bisexual’, as shown in Figure 7‑F.

Base: All young people (1909)

Young men were more likely than young women to say they identified as ‘straight/heterosexual’ (85.7% compared with 64.5%). Young disabled people were less likely than young non-disabled people to identify as ‘straight/heterosexual (52.2% compared with 77.8%).

7.6 Sexual experience and relationships

7.6.1 Sexual relationships

Young people were asked about various aspects of their sexual relationships; 31.6% of young people had a boyfriend or girlfriend at the time of the interview.

Young women were more likely than young men to have a boyfriend or girlfriend (36.6% compared with 25.6%). Those in most deprived quintile (SIMD 5) were more likely than those in the least deprived quintile (SIMD 1) to have a boyfriend or girlfriend (35.3% compared with 24.4%).

7.6.2 Sexual experience

When asked about sexual experience, around a third of young people reported having ever had oral sex (34.9%) or having ever had sexual intercourse (35.9%).

When those who reported that they had previously had oral sex or sexual intercourse were asked about protection, 71.3% reported having had sex without a condom and 53.1% without any form of protection or contraception. Young people in more deprived areas who had oral sex or sexual intercourse were more likely than those in less deprived areas to have done so without any form of protection or contraception (65.6% in SIMD 1 compared with 50.3% in SIMD 5).

Young people who reported having had sexual intercourse were asked how old they were the first time they did so. The most common age was 16, reported by 33.7%, followed by 15 years old which was reported by 25.9% and 17 or older which was reported by 22.1%. Younger ages were less common, with only 14.0% being aged 14 when they first had sexual intercourse, 3.8% being 13 and less than 1% being 11 or 12.

When asked about the first time they’d had sexual intercourse, 64.9% said they felt it was at about the right time, 21.1% thought they should have waited longer, 2.5% thought they should not have waited so long and 11.5% were not sure.

Young people who had had sexual intercourse were asked how many different people in total they had had sexual intercourse with; 48.1% said 1 person, 18.2% said 2 people, 10.4% said 3 people and 23.3% said 4 people or more.

7.6.3 Pregnancy

Of young people who reported having had sexual intercourse, 1.4% had children, less than 1% were pregnant or expecting a baby with someone at the time of interview with a further 1.3% unsure if they were. A small proportion (3.4%) had ever been pregnant or expecting a baby with someone, whilst 1.0% were unsure.

7.6.4 Upsetting relationship episode

Young people were asked if they had experienced any of the upsetting relationship episodes listed in Figure 7‑G since they were last interviewed. As shown, 47.8% of young people had fallen out with their close friend(s) and 32.9% had broken up with a boyfriend/girlfriend, whilst 36.0% said none of these upsetting relationship episodes had happened to them since they were last interviewed. Young women were more likely than young men to have experienced each of these upsetting relationship episodes.

Base: All young people (1930); young men (885); young women (1040)

Young disabled people were more likely than young non-disabled people to have experienced each upsetting episode, apart from breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend.

Base: All young people (1930); Young disabled people (228); Young non-disabled people (1261)