Cohort ’08 at 13yrs Information for Young Person

1.    Why are we contacting you?

You may remember that when you were younger, an interviewer from Growing Up in Ireland called to your home to ask you some questions about what your life was like. The interviewer also spoke to your parents about what life as a parent is like.

Now that you have turned 13 years old, we would like to talk to you and your parents again about how things have changed in the last few years. You are much older now, have changed schools and probably have some different interests and hobbies. We would like to find out about some of these changes.

This information sheet will remind you what Growing Up in Ireland is about and what will happen if you agree to take part again. When you have read it, chat to your parents about taking part in the survey!

2.    What’s Growing Up in Ireland all about?

Growing Up in Ireland is a very important Government survey that aims to find out what life is like for children growing up in Ireland. We are a team of researchers called the Growing Up in Ireland Study Team, and we are carrying out the Growing Up in Ireland survey for the Government.

In 2008 11,000 infants were chosen at random to be part of Growing Up in Ireland – and you are one of them. Since then we have collected information about you at different ages. Returning to the same young people to interview them every few years gives us a really complete picture of what life is like for them. Now that you are 13, we would like to collect information again and see how things have changed as you have grown.

If you and your parent/guardian agree, the interviewer will ask you some questions on the telephone about your family and school life, your activities and your friends.  The interviewer will also ask you to complete a short word and memory task on the telephone.  We will also ask you to fill in a short web survey, if you and your parent/guardian agree to this.

3.    How does Growing Up in Ireland help young people?

Growing Up in Ireland is a really important survey. It collects information that will help the Government to understand children’s lives better. This information will also help Government to make good decisions about things that affect children and young people and things that will help improve their lives.

4.    Why was I chosen?

All the young people taking part in Growing Up in Ireland were chosen at random in 2008 when they were 9-months-old. This was the best way to make sure we included children from different kinds of families and from different parts of the country. This gives us a good picture of what it is like to be growing up in every part of Ireland.

5.    What does Growing Up in Ireland tell us?

The survey gives us lots of information about the lives of children and young people. For example, it gives us information about your health, your interests and activities, your education, how you feel about your life, and your relationships with your family and friends.

6.    Can anyone else see my information?

Your privacy is important to us. Because we collect your answers under the Statistics Act 1993, all the answers you give us in the Growing Up in Ireland survey are protected by law. All the information you give us in answer to your questions on the Growing Up in Ireland survey is collected by people who are Officers of Statistics under the Statistics Act 1993. We are forbidden to use these answers, other than for producing statistics, without your written agreement. Only a small number of Officers of Statistics will be able to see your answers. Your name and other personal details will never appear in any reports from the survey. You also have important data protection rights which control how we can use your personal information and your answers to the survey. You can read about these rights, how you can use them, and who to contact about them at https://www.cso.ie/en/methods/tn/growingupinireland/.

Your parents or guardians have been told that no-one, including them, can see your answers in the survey, and they agreed to this when consenting to your participation in the survey. Under data protection law you have a right to see information about yourself (including your answers to the GUI survey). Because you are under 18, the law allows your parents or guardians to help you to do this, if you need them to. If your parents or guardians contact us on your behalf to ask for a copy of your answers to the questions, we will ask if you would prefer to seek this information yourself or if you consent to us sharing your answers with your parents or guardians. If you do not consent and your parents or guardians still want to see your answers, they can ask the Data Protection Commissioner who oversees these issues. It is also possible that a court may have to decide if your parents should see your data and the court will make this decision having considered your rights, your parents’/guardians’ rights and your best interests. Once you reach the age of 18 you will be the only person who can ask for your answers.

While we respect the privacy of the information you share with us, if the interviewer sees, hears or is told something by you outside of your answers to the direct survey questions, which causes them to have serious concerns for your welfare, or that of another child or vulnerable person, they might have to tell someone who could help. This person could be a Garda or social worker who is responsible for protecting children.

In order to make the best use of your answers to the survey questions, this information may be matched to other statistical information we hold. This is only allowed under strictly controlled procedures. The information may only be used for statistical research purposes and will not in any way allow you or your family to be identified.

7.    What are my rights if I take part?

You can decide to take part in the survey. You can also decide to change your mind and withdraw from the survey at any time – even after you have completed the questionnaire. If there is any question on the questionnaire you do not wish to answer, you do not have to do so.

You can find more information about your rights in the Privacy Statement which can be found by going to the Information for Participants section of the Growing Up in Ireland website (www.growingup.ie).

8.    Your participation counts!

Taking part in Growing Up in Ireland is voluntary. The participation of young people like you plays a major role in its success. It is only by carrying out research like this that we can understand what it is like to be a young person in Ireland today and how Government can help make life better.

We hope that you will be able to help us in our work and we would like to thank you for your time completing our questionnaires.

9.    Where can I find out more information?

• Freephone:
• Email: growingupat13@esri.ie
• You can also find more details on the Information for Participants section of the website: www.growingup.ie and either click on the red button at the top of the home page or open the ‘menu’ if viewing on a smartphone.