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  • Child participation
    • Snapshot
    • Table: summary
    • Figure: remoteness
    • Figure: socio-economic status
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What does this mean?

In Kids Stats child participation refers to the involvement of children and young people in their community. 

Why is it important to monitor?

Participation in community-based activities enhances children and young people’s social networks and builds their self-esteem and security.

The benefits from this kind of participation have been well documented and include crime prevention and the development of important life and social skills [1].

Communities also benefit from the qualities, perspective and knowledge that children and young people bring.

For children and young people to participate effectively, they require support (e.g. transport and finances) and encouragement; their views being listened to and taken seriously; and wherever possible, their ideas and suggestions followed through.

Indicator

Currently, there is no routine measure of child participation collected in NSW. The indicator used in Kids Stats to monitor child participation is obtained from the NSW Child Health Survey 2001 [2]. The indicator is:

The number of children aged 4 to 12 years reported by their parent or carer as participating in sport or other physical or non-physical activity outside of school hours as a proportion of responses.

This indicator was derived from three separate questions asked in the NSW Child Health Survey 2001.

Main findings 

• Approximately 75% of children participated in some form of organised activity outside of school hours in the past 12 months.
• Geographic location was a factor. The proportion of children participating declined as remoteness increased.
• Socio-economic status was a factor. As socio-economic status declined, the proportion of children participating declined. 

Notes
[1] National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001). The Social Impacts of Sport and Physical Recreation: An Annotated Bibliography. Recreation and Sport Industry Statistical Group, Canberra.
[2] Quaine, J., Eyeson-Annan, M., Baker, D., O’Sullivan, B., Williamson, M., & Jorm L. (2003). Report on the Development of the Child Health Survey. NSW Public Health Bulletin, 14 (S-1).

For details of the references and to find out more about the data follow the link to glossary and further information.