NICVA Research Briefing 41

Recent Research

Bringing up baby by Paula Devine and Katrina Lloyd. This report highlights findings from the Northern Ireland Household Panel Survey relating to parent-child interactions.

Driven to disaffection: Religious Independents in Northern IrelandbyIan McAllister. This report uses survey data from 1989-2004 to explore secularisation in Northern Ireland and the political attitudes of religious independents.

Eastern Health and Social Services Board area Investing for Health Indicators. This publication presents a set of 109 health and wellbeing indicators developed to assist in measuring progress against Investing for Health goals and targets in the eastern area.

Research Launch

On 21 November 2005 NICVA launched its latest State of the Sector report.

Seminars/Conference

Stare into my crystal ball: A seminar which examines how the attitudes of the sector have changed over the years in relation to policy developments, working practices and funding.

Young Life and Times (YLT) Survey Preview Event. This seminar provides an opportunity for organisations and interested individuals working with or on behalf of young people to get an overview of the key results of the 2005 YLT survey.

International Conference: Facing Autism: ABA Ireland, 2005. This conference encompasses a consecutive two day meeting aimed at providing education and social care professionals and parents of children with autism in Northern Ireland with an awareness of recent developments in applied behaviour analysis (ABA).

Recent Research

Bringing up baby

This report examines the long running and emotive debate about whether or not parents can legally physically punish their children.

At present, the law in Northern Ireland does not stipulate how parents should discipline their children. However, parental discretion must be used within certain boundaries, such as the limitations outlined within criminal law relating to the use of physical punishment. Within this debate, the attitudes of the public have been tested several times. In March 2001, one third (34%) of respondents to the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey stated that physical punishment was acceptable. In contrast, nine out of ten respondents to the 2001 consultation paper produced by the Office of Law Reform in Northern Ireland thought that physical punishment is an effective form of punishment, and a similar proportion thought that it is an appropriate form of discipline (Office of Law Reform, 2004). Using data from Wave 3 of the Northern Ireland Household Panel Survey (NIHPS) undertaken in 2003, this research update explores the different ways in which parents and children interact with one another in their daily lives. Included in this is the use, or otherwise, of physical punishment.

All those survey respondents who were parents were asked a range of questions about the six oldest children aged under 16 years living in their household. There were 1,629 responses in relation to children living in responding NIHPS households. While this figure includes a broad range of parent/child relationships, including adopted, foster and step children the vast majority (97%) involved the natural children of respondents.

To view the report click visit: http://www.ark.ac.uk/publications/updates/update40.pdf

Driven to disaffection: Religious independents in Northern Ireland

This research examines trends in the religious demography of Northern Ireland using a pooled dataset, combining the Northern Ireland Social Attitudes surveys (1989-1996) the 1998 Northern Ireland Referendum and Election survey, the 2003 Northern Ireland Election study and the Northern Ireland Life and Times surveys (1998-2004).

One of the most important changes that has occurred in Northern Ireland society over the past three decades has been the growth in the proportion of people who do not see themselves as affiliated with any religion. In the 2001 Census, 13.9% described themselves as either having no religion or refused to state a religion, compared to just 2% in the 1961 census. In the most recent Northern Ireland Life and Times survey, conducted in 2004, 11.5% described themselves as religious ‘independents’.

Key Points

1. In line with international trends, a significant minority in Northern Ireland (approximately 10%) see themselves as having no religion. This group is now the fourth largest group in Northern Ireland.

2. If these trends continue, those with no religion will form the second or third largest group in Northern Ireland by 2011.

3. Those with no religion are more likely to come from Protestant than Catholic families. There has been a significant decline in church attendance among Catholics.

4. There is evidence to support gradual population replacement as one explanation for the growth in secularisation.

5. There is also suggestive evidence that disaffection with politics is causing the growth of this secular group.

To view the survey findings visit http://www.ark.ac.uk/publications/updates/update41.pdf

or 028 9097 3034.

Further information about ARK resources, publications and events can be found at www.ark.ac.uk.

Eastern Health and Social Services Board area Investing for health Indicators.

This publication presents a set of 109 health and wellbeing indicators developed to assist in measuring progress against investing for health goals and targets in the eastern area. The indicators were developed in consultation with partners working to implement the public health strategy Investing for Health.

The indicators presented are routinely collected at the Health and Social Service Board or at a more local level and it is intended the indicators will support a wide range of organisations to measure the programme of initiatives. Stakeholders also proposed a number of indicators which are currently not collected or collected only at Northern Ireland level, and many of these have been recommended for further development.

If you have any queries or would like a copy of the report, contact Caroline Scott at caroline@belfasthealthycities.com or 028 9032 8811.

Research Launch

On 21 November 2005 NICVA launched State of the Sector IV. Among the findings is that the voluntary and community sector is a major employer in Northern Ireland, with over 4,500 organisations and a workforce of 29,000 people.

Some quick figures from the report:

·There are 4,500 voluntary and community groups in Northern Ireland.

·Total income for 2003-04 was £614 million.

·50% of all income is generated by only 5% of the sector.

·35% of the sector's funding comes from government.

·£12.72 is the average monthly donation to charity per person per month in Northern Ireland.

·There are 29,000 paid employees in the sector.

·4.4% of Northern Ireland's workforce is employed in the sector.

·75,000 volunteers are engaged in formal volunteering.

State of the Sector IValso includes an analysis of the various sub-sectors that combine to make up the overall voluntary and community sector. To view the details for each of the sub-sectors go to the Community NI State of the Sector IV section or purchase a copy of the full report for only £10 from Lynn Anderson on 028 9087 7777.

Seminars

Stare into my crystal ball

Date and Time: Friday 9 December 2005, 11.00am-12.30pm

Location: NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast

Cost: Free

On 9 December 2005 the fourth research seminar Stare into my crystal ball will take a look at how the attitudes of the sector in relation to policy developments, working practices and funding have changed over the years.

JJ McCarron and Leeann Brady from NICVA will examine the findings of State of Sector IV and the results of the various NICVA Viewfinder surveys to provide an analysis of past, present and future attitudes. They will be joined by Bill Osborne from VSB who will give his perspectives on what he believes is in store for the sector in the future.

To register please contact Andrea Burke at andrea.burke@nicva.org, 028 9087 7777.

If you have any ideas or are involved in any research that you would like to include in future events please contact the research team at NICVA.

Young Life and Times (YLT) Survey Preview Event

This seminar provides an opportunity for organisations and interested individuals working with or on behalf of young people to get an overview of the key results of the 2005 YLT survey, before they become publicly available from 7 December 2005.

Location: Institute of Governance, 63 University Rd, Belfast.

Date: Tuesday 6 December 2005

Time: 12.00 noon. After a light lunch, at 14.00 there will also be an opportunity to contribute to a discussion about the future format of the YLT survey.

For more informationand/or book a place, pleasecontact Dirk Schubotz at d.schubotz@qub.ac.uk, tel 028 9097 3947.

Conference

International Conference: Facing Autism: ABA Ireland, 2005

Date:16 and 17 December 2005

Location: University of Ulster, Coleraine

Within Ireland and in the UK as a whole, there has been an increasing demand for science-based solutions to social problems but this has been accompanied by a dearth of experienced qualified professionals. This conference encompasses a consecutive two-day meeting aimed at providing education and social care professionals and parents of children with autism in Northern Ireland with an awareness of recent developments in applied behaviour analysis (ABA). A number of leading scholars and practitioners from the USA, UK, and the Republic of Ireland, will present current research findings and guidance to best practice from applied behaviour analysis in the treatment of autism. This conference is supported by the National Autistic Society, the European Association of Behaviour Analysis, and Queen’s University, Belfast.

For registration forms and more information see http://www.science.ulster.ac.uk/conference/or contact Dr Karola Dillenburger at K.dilllenburger@qub.ac.uk.

Thanks to everyone who sent information that has been included in NICVA Research Update 41. Please remember to send information about research that you have undertaken and requests for information that you would like included in the next update. Also, do remember to let others know about NICVA Research Updates. To register send an email entitled ‘NICVA Research Updates’ to andrea.burke@nicva.org

Andrea Burke

Research Assistant

NICVA

61 Duncairn Gardens

BELFASTBT15 2GB

028 9087 7777

028 9087 7799

andrea.burke@nicva.org

www.nicva.org