In general “well-being’’ means being physically and psychologically happy. There is no single definition of the concept “child well-being’’. Professionals define it in different ways. In this section we offer the definition and measurement of child well-being according to Professor Jonathan Bradshaw from the University of York. He also shares with us why the child well-being is important. Further, at the end of the page you could learn about children’s opinions on their own well-being – a study done by Gill Main, Professor Bradshaw and their colleagues from the Children Society.
Child well-being – aspects and measurement
In this video Professor Bradshaw explains that child well-being is a multi-dimensional concept, meaning that the well-being of children is affected by more than one aspect – school, money, parents, peers etc. Thus, when defining “child well-being” all factors that influence children should be taken into account. He describes as well how the well-being of children can be measured.
Child well-being – importance
In this video Professor Bradshaw explains why child well-being is important and how the UK government supports the development of new measurement of child well-being.
Is money important to children in the UK?
In the interview Gill Main and Professor Jonathan Bradshaw discus what matters to children based on the children’s own opinion. By working on a research paper they have asked children what makes them happy and what are the key features influencing their life. The children shared that the level of income of their family or whether their parents were unemployed has very little to do with their well-being. They were other factors that matter more for their happiness. Watch the video to learn more about those factors.