Youth social action in the UK -

2014

A face-to-face survey of 10-20 year olds

November 2014

Bobby Duffy, MD Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute

Senior Visiting Fellow King’s College London

@BobbyIpsosMORI

2

Young people get a bad press… 76% of press

coverage of young people is negative

76% figure quoted at Leveson Inquiry

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Perils of Perception – in Britain we think…

16% of teenagers give birth each year

31% of young people are not in employment, education or training

50% of crime is committed by young people

… US think 24% (actual 3%)

… Italy thinks 51% (actual 20%)

Actual = 3%

Actual = 13%

Actual = 12%*

*Figures from British Crime Survey, as reported at Leveson Inquiry

Not surprising people have the wrong idea…

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The reality on helping others:

youngest adult group most

likely to be active…

Source: Community Life Survey 2013-14

5

have participated in meaningful youth

social action in the past 12 months

have participated infrequently

have not participated

24% of 10-20 year olds do social

action every month

16% of 10-20 year olds

every few months

40%

43%

17% Still room to improve: how do we

increase frequency here…?

And engage this group?

44% say likely to in next year…

Base: 2,038 10-20 year olds in the UK

Source: Ipsos MORI

And many 10-20 year olds are already active…

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74%... Source: Community Life Survey 2013-14

7 7

Higher levels of participation

among:

• Youngest age group (10-15)

• More affluent families

• Urban areas

• Females

• In formal education

• Those with a religious

affiliation

49%

Base: 2,038 10-20 year olds in the UK; 223 in Northern Ireland; 216 in Scotland; 178 in Wales; 1,421 in England

39%

36%

Source: Ipsos MORI

39%

Activity does vary… …and by other factors

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What percentage of young people who had participated in social action said that BOTH they AND other people had benefitted?

64% 82%

78% 93%

A B

C D

Source: Ipsos MORI

Time to vote…

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Base: 1,154 UK 10-20 year olds participating in any social action in the past 12 months

SOCIAL ACTION

BENEFITTED ME

PERSONALLY

SOCIAL ACTION

BENEFITTED

OTHERS

95%

93% SOCIAL ACTION

BENEFITTED

OTHERS AND ME 96%

Source: Ipsos MORI

Double benefits…

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Time to vote…

What was the top reason why young people participating

in social action felt they had benefitted from taking part?

C Helped a charity or cause they believed in

B Enjoyed helping other people

A Had fun

Source: Ipsos MORI

11

Benefits for themselves…

25%

28%

30%

34%

46%

71%

I learnt new skills

I felt I made a difference

I felt betterabout myself

I helped a charity/cause I believed in

I had fun

I enjoyed helpingother people

Base: 723 participants in meaningful social action who felt they had benefitted a lot/a fair amount from their activities

Why participants felt they had benefitted

Source: Ipsos MORI

12

…and the benefits for others

23%

26%

39%

43%

50%

Community/environmentwas improved

Other people learnt new skills

Others' lives improved

Other people had fun

Money was raised for a good cause

Base: 707 participants in meaningful social action who felt others/ the environment had benefitted a lot/ a fair amount from their activities

Why participants felt others benefitted

Source: Ipsos MORI

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Overall, how satisfied are you with your life nowadays, where nought is ‘not at

all satisfied’ and 10 is ‘completely satisfied’?

8.0 8.6 Non-participants Participants in

meaningful social

action

Base: 884 10-20 year olds doing no social action in the past 12 months (except donating money/goods): / 818 10-20 year olds doing meaningful social action in the past 12 months

May not seem a lot but…

Adults with ‘fair’ rather than ‘good’ health = -0.53

Adults divorced compared married/civil partnership = -0.64

Source: Ipsos MORI

Participants seem to be more satisfied with their lives…

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Systematically understand behaviour – COM-B helps…

CAPABILITY

MOTIVATION

OPPORTUNITY

BEHAVIOUR

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Publicise the opportunities that are

available:

non-participants often unaware of

opportunities to take part

Establish a culture of participation:

most common reason for non-participation was ‘it had never occurred to me’; those who have done

social action tend to participate in several forms

Work through social networks: main thing that would encourage (more) social

action is ‘if I could do it with family/ friends’

Make sure opportunities are

accessible and convenient: Close to home and/or through school

Highlight the benefits of social

action: under half of participants perceived that others

benefitted ‘a lot’

Opportunity Motivation

Source: Ipsos MORI

Five key points from the research…

bobby.duffy@ipsos.com

@BobbyIpsosMORI