The results from the 2013 Kids' Life and Times (KLT) Survey are now available. The survey explored a range of issues important in the lives of 10-11 year olds, including children's rights, use of the internet, school, childcare, nutrition and more. Several of these topics were suggested by children who took part in the survey in previous years.

As with all ARK surveys, tables of results for every question, as well as the questionnaire, technical notes and the dataset are freely available on the KLT website. Two new publications are now available - further details are within the Publications section below.

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The results of the 2013 Kids' Life and Times (KLT) Survey are now available, and were launched at a Big Breakfast in St Ita's Primary School, Belfast. The event focused on the children's rights module, which consisted of questions on children's participation in school and their community. Earlier in the year, researchers from the Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's University had worked with six 10-year-old children from St Ita's to develop these questions.

After a warm welcome from Joanne Browne (Principal of St Ita's Primary School), the event began with a song from the school choir, followed by an introduction to the survey by Gillian Robinson (Director of ARK). Lesley Emerson (Centre for Children's Rights), along with the six members of the Children's Advisory Group, described how the questions were designed, and outlined some of the key findings.

We are very grateful to Ms Browne, and the children of St Ita's, for their work and enthusiasm in working with us on the survey and for hosting the event. The Big Breakfast was held as part of the Economic and Social Research Council Festival of Social Science.

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Together with the Centre for Effective Services and Save the Children, ARK ran a Children's Learning seminar during this month's ESRC Festival of Social Sciences. As part of this event, Dirk Schubotz from ARK presented findings from the 2013 Kids' Life and Times Survey focusing on on the involvement of parents in children's education.

This is also the topic of a new Research Update - for more details, see the Publications section below.  

Two new publications have been released, focusing on data from the 2013 Kids' Life and Times Survey:

• What Kids Think, Issue 6 is a comic highlighting key findings from the survey. (Please note, this is a very large file)
• The Impact of Parental Involvement in the school experience of 10 and 11-year olds (Research Update 85) by Orlaith Minogue and Dirk Schubotz

ARK produces a range of publications, including Research Updates and fact sheets. Most of these are available online. For a full list of publications, as well as links, visit our Publications page.

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The forthcoming ARK seminar series will focus on key social issues, and three events have been planned for the coming months:

• Monday 25 November 2013: A Truly Shared Future? Attitudes towards migrant communities and minority ethnic people in Northern Ireland, presented by Philip McDermott, University of Ulster.
• Tuesday 28 January 2014: Sexual risks experienced by 16-year olds. Using research evidence to influence policy and practice, presented by Dirk Schubotz (ARK).
• Tuesday 25 February 2014: Queering the Family - Attitudes towards LGBT families and relationships in Northern Ireland, presented by Nicola Carr, Siobhan McAlister and Gail Neill

All seminars will be held in NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, and will start at noon. Everyone is welcome, and the seminars are free. However, places must be booked by email info@ark.ac.uk, or by telephone 028 7167 5513

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ARK is a joint initiative between Queen's University and the University of Ulster, and began in 2000. Our mission is to make social science knowledge on Northern Ireland easily accessible to the widest possible audience. Most of our dissemination is via our website at www.ark.ac.uk, which is divided into four main areas:

• Surveys
• Conflict, Politics and Elections
• Policy, Research and Resources
• Outreach, Dissemination and Training - including publications and events

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