Growing up in Scotland: life at age 12

Concluding remarks

This report marks the end of the ninth sweep of data collection with Birth Cohort 1 in the Growing Up in Scotland study. This was the first data collected since the cohort members moved to secondary school and embarked on their journey into adolescence. The tenth sweep of fieldwork, where the cohort children are aged 14, commenced in January 2019 and interviewing will continue until summer 2020. The enduring support from and enthusiasm of the cohort members and their families is allowing the continued expansion of an already rich and diverse unique source of information on the characteristics, circumstances and experiences of children and their parents in Scotland.

Although this report contains only preliminary analysis from one sweep of the study, it is evident that several important themes and issues are already emerging as children enter an important phase in their lives. Many of these will warrant more detailed examination incorporating the considerable data collected on their earlier childhood experiences. Others will form baseline measures which will be tracked through future sweeps of the study.

A key part of the design and philosophy behind GUS is that the study would be the centrepiece of a wider programme of research and provide a rich resource for other researchers. A considerable body of work already exists and more will follow as these new data are disseminated to the study’s broad interest group encompassing central and local government policy personnel, voluntary and public sector practitioners and academic and research communities.

To find out more about GUS, access existing research reports and articles and sign up to receive study updates, visit the study website: www.growingupinscotland.org.uk