Polls and surveys

Press Ctrl-P to Print

Parenting across Scotland regularly asks parents about what they think and what matters to them. One of the ways we do this is by carrying out telephone surveys of parents throughout Scotland.

In every survey, we ask how parents get the information and support they need to bring up their children, and if they get what they need. We feed this information back to the Scottish Government, and other organisations who provide information to parents, to help them improve their services.

We also ask parents about a range of other issues, for example, children's behaviour, health visitors, how family-friendly their neighbourhood is, and their experiences of parenting.

Ipsos-MORI has carried three surveys for us in 2004, 2007,2008 and 2010. You can download summaries of the results below.

What Scottish parents tell us: Ipsos MORI 2010 summary

Parenting has never been an easy job but with the recession and fears of cuts looming large it has become harder than ever. Parenting across Scotland commissioned an Ipsos MORI poll to seek parents' experiences of a range of key parenting issues. The poll looked at:

  • how families are being affected by the recession
  • childcare and pre-school education
  • advice and support in bringing up children
  • attitudes to doctors
  • relationships, and
  • parents' future support needs

Download PAS Ipsos MORI summary 2010
What Scottish parents tell us: Ipsos MORI 2010 full report

Download PAS Ipsos MORI 2010 full report

Families in the Recession

During September and October 2009 Parenting across Scotland conducted a telephone helpline survey of parents.  PAS helpline partners, ParentLine Scotland, Capability Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland and Stepfamily Scotland asked callers about their experiences of parenting in the recession.

Download the Families in the Recession briefing
What Scottish parents tell us: Ipsos MORI Poll 2008

In 2008 we asked parents how they get information and support, their views and experiences of health visitors, about children's behaviour, and what they think of how the media portrays parents.

  • 72% of parents told us they were finding it more difficult to afford their household bills than they were a year ago
  • 9 out of 10 parents said they found their health visitor’s advice reassuring.

Download a summary of the 2008 Ipsos MORI Poll (424kB PDF)
What do we know about families in Scotland: MORI Survey 2007

In 2007, we asked parents about how they get their information and support, their experiences of parenting, discipline and how family friendly they think their neighbourhood is.

  • a third of parents said that they and their partner played an equal part in bringing up their child
  • 62% felt that their employer was 'family friendly'

Download a summary of the 2007 MORI Survey (296kB PDF)
Family Life in Scotland: MORI Research Study 2004

In 2004 we asked members of the general public what they thought about parenting: whether there is enough information and support for parents, if they have ever needed support with their children, public attitudes to parents and parenting.

  • 39% of parents say they worry 'all the time' or 'quite a lot' about how good a parent they are
  • 1 in 5 parents of teenagers said they had experienced problems that they needed help with.

Download the 2004 MORI Research Study (468kB PDF)