parental attitudes

The Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) is a longitudinal research project aimed at tracking the lives of a cohort of Scottish children from the early years, through childhood and beyond. Funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department, its principal aim is to provide information to support policy-making, but it is also intended to be a broader resource that can be drawn on by academics, voluntary sector organisations and other interested parties.

For some families leaving a child alone is a necessity because of lack of other options. For others it is a symptom of parental neglect. Understanding the differences between these situations is a challenge for child protective services agencies. This is the report of a study to examine how local child welfare agencies respond when they receive reports of children who are taking care of themselves.

The Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) is a longitudinal research project aimed at tracking the lives of a cohort of Scottish. Its aim is to provide information to support policy-making, but it is also intended to be a broader resource that can be drawn on by academics, voluntary sector organisations and other interested parties. Focusing initially on a cohort of 5,217 children aged 0-1 years old and a cohort of 2,859 children aged 2-3 years old, the first wave of fieldwork began in April 2005.