Public attitudes to young people in Scotland

Annex A – Detailed survey findings

Only statistically significant and meaningful sub group differences are reported.

Q1: Young people are trustworthy

• 41% agreed and 12% disagreed that young people are trustworthy. Within that, few people agreed or disagreed strongly.
• People aged 18-24 and over 65 were most likely to agree that young people are trustworthy (49% and 50%), while those aged 25-49 were least likely to agree (32%).
• However, 18-24 year olds were also most likely to disagree that young people are trustworthy (17%).
• People who personally knew a young person were substantially more likely to agree that young people are trustworthy (47%) than those who didn't know anyone (30%).
• Higher occupational grades ( ABC1) were substantially more likely to agree that young people are trustworthy than lower social grades ( C2DE) (47% vs. 34%) and were also less likely to disagree (9% vs. 15%).
• Attitudes improved as area deprivation increased – 33% in the lowest SIMD quintile agreed that young people are trustworthy, compared to 46% in the highest quintile.
• Attitudes improved with household income, with those with an income of under 20K least likely to agree that young people are trustworthy (37%) and those with over 60K most likely to agree (54%).
• Full time students (54%) and retired people (50%) were most likely to agree that young people are trustworthy. This is consistent with age findings.
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially more likely to agree (48%) than Leave voters (34%).
• People who voted Liberal Democrat in the last UK general election were more likely to agree that young people are trustworthy (55%) than those who voted for other parties (43-44%).

Q2: Young people are lazy

• 24% agreed and 41% disagreed that young people are lazy. Within that, few people agreed or disagreed strongly.
• People aged 25-49 were more likely to agree that young people are lazy (38%) than other age groups (19-20%).
• 25-49 year olds were also least likely to disagree that young people are lazy (32%), while 18-24 (59%) and 65+ (51%) most likely to disagree.
• People who knew a young person more likely to disagree that young people are lazy (45%) than those didn't (34%).
• People within the ABC1 occupational grades were both more likely to disagree that young people are lazy than those in C2DE groups (46% vs 36%) and less likely to agree (21% vs 26%).
• Attitudes towards young people on this question improved consistently as area deprivation decreased – people in the most deprived SIMD quintile were almost twice as likely to agree that young people are lazy (27%) as those in the least deprived quintile (15%). They were also less likely to disagree (37% in SIMD 1 compared to 49% in SIMD 5).
• Agreement that young people are lazy increased as household incomes increased, from 40% in households earning under 20K to 49% in households earning over 60K.
• Full time students were the most likely to disagree that young people are lazy (58%).
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially less likely to agree (18%) and more likely to disagree (47%) than those that voted Leave (33% agree; 35% disagree).
• People who voted Liberal Democrat in the last UK general election substantially more positive about young people on this question - 10% agreed that young people are lazy compared to 22%-25% among those that voted for other parties.

Q3: Young people take responsibility for their own actions

• 26% agreed and 35% disagreed that young people take responsibility for their own actions. Within that, few people agreed or disagreed strongly.
• People who knew a young person were more likely to agree that young people take responsibility for their own actions (29%) than those who didn't (20%).
• People in the least deprived SIMD quintile were the most likely to disagree that young people take responsibility for their own actions (27%), although the relationship between area deprivation and attitudes was not consistent, with disagreement being highest (39%) in both the most deprived and second least deprived quintiles.
• Attitudes were most positive in the highest household income group, with 37% of those in the 60K+ income group agreeing that young people take responsibility for their own actions. However, agreement was lowest in the 20-39K group with 26%.
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially more likely to agree that young people take responsibility for their own actions (31%) and less likely to disagree (29%) than those that voted Leave (21% agree; 50% disagree).
• In a reverse from patterns in previous questions, people who voted Liberal Democrat in the last UK general election substantially less positive about young people on this question - 14% agreed that young people take responsibility for their own actions, compared to 23-29% in other voter groups.
• There was less variation in this question than others. Differences in attitudes between age, household income and occupational groups were not statistically significant, and there were no meaningful differences by employment status.

Q4: Young people lack communication skills

• 39% agreed and 31% disagreed that young people lack communication skills. Within that, few people agreed or disagreed strongly.
• Women were more likely to agree that young people lack communication skills (36%) than men (42%).
• 18-24 year olds were substantially less likely to agree that young people lack communication skills (26%) compared to other age groups (40-41%), and were also most likely to disagree (53%). 25-49 year olds were least likely to disagree that young people lack communication skills (26%).
• People who knew a young person were more likely to disagree that young people lack communication skills (36%) than those that did not (25%).
• The higher ( ABC1) occupational groups were less likely to agree (36%) and more likely to disagree that young people lack communication skills (37%) than the lower ( C2DE) groups (43% agree; 26% disagree).
• People in the least deprived SIMD quintile were less likely to agree that young people lack communication skills (29%) than those in other quintiles (37-46%).
• Full time students were least likely to agree that young people lack communication skills (23%) and most likely to disagree (54%).
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially less likely to agree that young people lack communication skills (33%) and more likely to disagree (39%) than those that voted Leave (51% agree; 24% disagree).

Q5: Young people help others in need

• 40% agreed and 17% disagreed that young people help others in need. Within that, few people agreed or disagreed strongly.
• Women were more likely to agree that young people help others in need (44%) than men (36%).
• 18-24 year olds were most likely to agree that young people help others in need (58%), while 25-49 year olds were the least likely to (33%).
• People who knew a young person were more likely to agree that young people help others in need (44%) than those who did not (31%).
• People in higher ( ABC1) occupational groups were more likely to agree that young people help others in need (45%) than those in lower ( C2DE) groups (34%).
• People in the least deprived SIMD quintile were most likely to agree that young people help others in need (51%) but there was no consistent pattern for other quintiles. The lowest level of agreement was in the middle quintile (33%).
• There was no consistent pattern for household income. Respondents in the 20-40K and the 60K+ groups were most likely to agree that young people help others in need (46%), and people in the 40-60K group were least likely to disagree (10% vs 17-20% in others).
• Full time students were the most likely employment group to agree that young people help others in need (59%).
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially more likely to agree that young people help others in need (46%) than those that voted Leave (31%).

Q6: Young people cause trouble in their local area

• 23% agreed and 32% disagreed that young people cause trouble in their local area. Within that, few people agreed or disagreed strongly.
• Men were more likely to agree that young people cause trouble in their local area (27%) than women (19%).
• 18-24 year olds were least likely to agree that young people cause trouble in their local area (15%), while 25-49 year olds were most likely to agree (25%). 18-24 year olds were also twice as likely to disagree (54%) as those in the 25-49 (27%) and 50-64 (26%) age groups.
• Respondents who knew a young person were more likely to disagree that young people cause trouble in their local area (36%) than those who were not (23%).
• People in higher ( ABC1) occupational groups were less likely to agree that young people cause trouble in their local area (19%) than those in lower ( C2DE) groups (27%), and more likely to disagree (37% vs 26%).
• The percentage who disagreed with the statement increased as area deprivation decreased. 22% of people in SIMD 1 disagreed that young people cause trouble in their local area, compared to 42% in SIMD 5.
• Students were least likely to agree that young people cause trouble in their local area (14%) and most likely to disagree (55%).
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially less likely to agree (21%) and more likely to disagree (38%) that young people cause trouble in their local area than those that voted Leave (28% agree; 25% disagree).
• People who voted Lib Dem in the last general election were more likely to disagree that young people cause trouble in their local area (44%) than people who voted for other parties (31-34%).
• Differences by household income were not statistically significant.

Q7: The behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago

• 43% agreed and 32% disagreed that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago
• In contrast to other questions, men were more positive about young people on this question. Men were more likely to agree that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago (50%) than women (38%) and less likely to disagree (28% vs 37%).
• 18-24 year olds were substantially more likely to agree that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago (60% vs 39-45% for other age groups) and less likely to disagree (18% vs 31-38%).
• Those who said they know young people were more likely to agree that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago (47%) than those who did not (39%).
• People in higher ( ABC1) occupational groups were more likely to agree that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago (49%) than those in the lower ( C2DE) groups (38%).
• Agreement that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago was highest in least deprived quintile (52%), and lowest in most deprived (36%), but there was not a consistent relationship in the middle quintiles.
• Students were most likely to agree (62%) that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago and least likely to disagree (16%).
• People who voted Remain in the EU referendum were substantially more likely to agree (49%) that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago than those that voted Leave (39%).
• People who voted Conservative in the last general election were more likely to disagree that the behaviour of young people today is no worse than it was 30 years ago (41%) than those who voted for other parties (29-34%).

Q8: Walking past group of 16 or 17 year olds

• 59% said it would not bother them at all.
• 29% said they would feel slightly worried.
• 5% said they would feel very worried.
• 4% said they would avoid walking past them.
• Women were less likely to say that walking past a group of 16 or 17 year olds would not bother them (54%) than men (64%).
• Confidence increases with age – 53% of 18-24 year olds said that that walking past a group of 16 or 17 year olds would not bother them, compared to 67% of over 65s.
• People who know a young person were more likely to say that that walking past a group of 16 or 17 year olds would not bother them (63%) than those that do not (52%).
• Confidence increased as rurality increased, with people in remote and very remote rural areas most likely to say that walking past a group of 16 or 17 year olds would not bother them (73% and 75%), compared to 59% in large urban areas.
• The percentage saying that walking past a group of 16 or 17 year olds would not bother them was higher in the 40-60K and 60K+ household income brackets (66-69%) compared to the lower income groups (59-60%).
• Consistent with age, retired people were more likely to say that walking past a group of 16 or 17 year olds would not bother them (67%) than other employment groups.
• Contrary to what might be expected, there was no difference by SIMD.

Q9: Perceptions of the media portrayal of young people

• 6% thought the media portrayal of young people was positive, 52% thought it was negative.
• 18-24 year olds were substantially more likely to say that the media portray young people in a negative light.
• People who know a young person were also more likely to perceive the media portrayal as negative (56%) than those who do not (42%).
• People in higher ( ABC1) occupational groups were more likely to perceive the media portrayal as negative (55%) %) than those in the lower ( C2DE) groups (49%).
• Students were substantially more likely to describe the media portrayal as negative (75%) than other employment status groups (39-53%).