Longitudinal Research on Children and Young People in Europe and Beyond

Abstract

Surveying child and youth well-being can be done in various ways. The diverse options depend on the theoretical concept used (e.g. eudaimonic or hedonic), the target group (e.g. different age groups), the scope of interest (e.g. informing regionally or internationally working politicians), and other factors. Above all, this chapter examines the question of whether or not surveying children’s and young people’s well-being should be done using a longitudinal design. Within the MYWeB project we undertook a comprehensive review of existing administrative and survey data sets across EU countries that cover core dimensions of child and youth well-being. On the basis of this analysis, we highlight those aspects of child and youth well-being that are already covered well by the existing data and those aspects which have been neglected thus far. We also consider the advantages longitudinal studies on child and youth well-being may hold compared to cross-sectional surveys. Starting from a psychological point of view, we point to the central role of a long-term perspective in regard to policies that aim to improve children’s and young people’s well-being. Further, we demonstrate that existing longitudinal surveys on child and youth well-being have added considerable value to results coming from cross-sectional surveys. We close the chapter with recommendations for future surveys on child and youth well-being and policy making.