– I have many good friends and a nice family. It makes me feel good, says Erle Meyer Norschau (11). She and her friends of the same age, Hedda and Tomine, are immediately ready to start school in the 6th grade and are very satisfied with their everyday lives. The friends from Arendal thus reflect the majority of Norwegian children aged 10-12. For the first time, the everyday life of the age group has been mapped nationally and the answers are encouraging, according to researcher Frøydis Enstad: – Our most important finding is that the vast majority are doing very well. This applies both in general in life and in arenas such as school, friends, free time and the local environment, says Enstad, who is the project manager for Ungdata junior. Researcher Frøydis Enstad says most of the children in the survey have friends to be with both at school and in their free time. Photo: Heidi Ditlefsen / news Telling each other everything The recent report has mapped how children from 5th to 7th grade are doing. It is based on more than 100,000 responses from children in 199 municipalities. The majority state that they enjoy school and feel they have teachers who care. The survey shows that 90 per cent of the children have at least one friend they can talk to about anything. – We are very happy that so many people have this confidant friend. Having good friends is very important for how the children feel, says Enstad. For the slightly older, students in secondary school and upper secondary school, the situation is almost the same. 88 percent state that they have a trusted friend. This is clear from this year’s Ungdata report. Hedda, Tomine and Erle feel they can tell each other most things. – It is very nice that my friends support me, says Tomine. – It is important that friends stick together and are kind to each other, says Hedda. Being bullied and banned Even though most children say they are fine, everyday life can be tough for some. The report shows that around 11 percent are bullied monthly. These children state that they are excluded, harassed or threatened by other children. – We think this is very serious. This is a group that is important to be aware of, says researcher Enstad. The report also shows that one percent of the children have no one they would call friends at all. Just as many say that they never have anyone to be with in their free time. Hedda, Tomine and Erle are fully aware that not all children have as good an everyday life as themselves. – It is stupid that some people are lonely. I think more people should ask if they want to play, says Erle. Tomine and Erle have been good friends ever since they met in kindergarten as three-year-olds. – Then we enjoyed making mud cakes, says Erle. Photo: Heidi Ditlefsen / news The Children’s Ombud reacts to bullying figures Children’s Ombud Inga Bejer Engh is happy that there has now been a separate Youth Data report also for the younger children. – Now we can follow changes in this group over time, and that has value. We always want more knowledge about how children are doing, says Engh. Children’s Ombudsman Inga Bejer Engh notes that bullying has been a focus for many years, but that we are still struggling to deal with this in a good way. Photo: Heidi Ditlefsen / news She thinks it is positive that nine out of ten children state that they have at least one good friend, but reacts to the fact that bullying numbers are still high. – It is extremely serious and indicates that we are not at all on target with the work we are supposed to do in schools to prevent bullying. Maybe we need to get a foot in the ground and see if we can do things a little differently?
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Children aged 10-12 have at least one good friend, new Ungdata junior report shows – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
