CHILDREN as young as nine are aware of the differences between rich and poor people, research funded by the Swindon-based Economic and Social Research Council has revealed.
The ESRC, which is based at North Star and funds projects nationwide, enabled researchers to interview 35 children aged nine to 12 and their parents.
Families were drawn from two areas of a large city, and topics discussed included aspirations and health issues.
The research revealed stark contrasts between the two groups in terms of choices and opportunities.
But there were similarities when they talked of family, personal challenges and issues such as bullying or divorce.
The youngsters talked about inequalities between rich and poor in terms of fairness and unfairness, and neither group believed that how much money their family had made a big effect on their lives.
Dr Kathryn Backett-Milburn, the report's co-author, said: "Children's comments on inequality and unfairness reinforce previous calls for children's voices to be included in policymaking, not just with an eye to their future health but also because of potential consequences for their sense of well-being in the present."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article