How we live and what we need: What life is like for children and adolescents in Germany. Bertelsmann Stiftung Children’s Worlds May 2020.

Andresen, Sabine and Wilmes , Johanna and Möller, Renate (2020) How we live and what we need: What life is like for children and adolescents in Germany. Bertelsmann Stiftung Children’s Worlds May 2020. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

Researchers at the University of Frankfurt wanted to find out what life is like for kids in Germany. For example, they were interested in discovering if children and adolescents in Germany have every- thing they need, if there are people who look after them and if they feel safe. This German part of the study is called Children’s Worlds+. How was the study carried out? The researchers went to a number of schools to interview 3,500 students between the ages of 8 and 14. That’s quite a lot for one study. They also spoke with groups of children and young people between the ages of 5 and 20. And then there was a team of young experts assembled by the Bertels- mann Stiftung – the YExTeam. These kids looked at the results of the study and commented on them. That makes Children’s Worlds+ a very large study. It not only provides information about the children and young people who were interviewed, it also allows the researchers to draw conclusions about how all children and adolescents in Germany are doing and what they need. Or as the researchers say, it is a “representative” study. What did the researchers discover? A whole lot. And since they found out so much, the researchers put all the answers into groups. They sorted the results into different dimensions, which reflect what children and adolescents in Germany need to live well. There are four dimensions. The entire study is actually a thick book. We’ve taken the most important results and summarized them in this brochure. The language that researchers use is often complicated, so we’ve tried to explain things in a way that is clear. After all, it’s important that children and adolescents themselves understand the results. The researchers met with children aged 8 and older. Since younger kids might not want to read so much, and older children and adolescents might want a little more information, we’ve structured everything like this: In each part of the brochure, there’s a section called “Simply Put” which explains the most import- ant results in simple language. Anyone who wants to know more about what the researchers discovered can just keep reading.

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