What young people are really like in 2007

o Family members are the most positive influencers of young people Young people express highly positive attitudes towards their family and believe they have a positive influence. Mum, dad and siblings are ranked as being the most positive influence. Young people are more cynical, or at least unconvinced, about the influence of celebrities on their lives and indeed feel that celebrities such as Pete Doherty are bad role models.

o A special place is reserved for mums across the UK One in five young people spontaneously picked their mum as the adult they admire most in Britain today. In second place, with the support of almost one in ten of the sample, was dad. Both of these answers are considerably higher than the most admired celebrity personalities (Kylie Minogue and David Beckham). Family is seen as being the most positive influence on the life of the average young person.

o Young people who are members of youth/sports clubs are better citizens Across a wide range of measures young people who participate in local youth or sports clubs could be judged as being better citizens. In terms of healthy lifestyles, feelings of emotional closeness with family members, parental relationship and the desire to make a difference in this world, members of youth or sports clubs express more positive attitudes and demonstrate better citizenship. Members of youth/sports clubs are more likely to think highly of their family, to have parents who trust them, are involved in their schooling and more likely to talk about safe sex, alcohol and drugs. They are more likely to have a good relationship with other adults in their community. Members of youth/sports clubs are less likely to drink or smoke, are more likely to exercise and to be concerned about being healthy, they are more inclined to believe that making a difference to this world is important and they are less likely to feel bored.

o Young people want to be listened to The young people who participated in this research clearly communicated a desire to be heard – for adults to pay more attention and to give greater credence to what young people think, feel and have to say. Young people are asking to be taken seriously and not to be dismissed on the grounds of age alone. © nfpSynergy 3 Typical young people January 2007

o Young people who are members of clubs feel valued and valuable Young people who are members of local sports or youth clubs are resoundingly positive about their experiences. More than 8 in 10 participants get on well with the adults who run the groups, enjoy the activities they undertake, feel an important member of the club and enjoy the feeling of support they get from the other young people who are members.

o Young people generally feel good about themselves The overall picture that emerges is of balanced young people who have strong beliefs and values (79%) and who have a generally positive self-image and self-esteem (76% agree with the statement “I like who I am”). However, self-image and how young people feel about themselves can be complex and dynamic. The majority of young people also agree that they “sometimes feel unimportant”.

o Young people feel they are in control of their lives and feel resilient Young people are almost unanimous in their belief that life can sometimes be unfair (85%). However, the majority feel that they have a lot of control over the things that happen to them and feel equipped to cope when they are faced with challenges. 67% of young people state that they are good at solving the problems that arise.

o Young people trust their intuition and instincts to decide right from wrong In judging between right and wrong most young people think independently and trust common sense or their own intuition (33% and 25% respectively = 58% combined) more than any other source.