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In recent policies, it is assumed that communities welcome the inclusion of young people with intellectual disability. However, little is known about perspectives of young people themselves. This article reports on research that sought to address this gap. Young people with intellectual disability living in three Australian small town communities participated in pictorial mapping and photo-rich methods to explore belonging and exclusion and links between these. Young people's feelings of comfort and safety with local spaces and people were important for their sense of belonging. Emplaced relationships with family and some friends were key to strong belonging, as were positive attachments to disability support workers and spaces. Social exclusion, either from particular places or more generally, was keenly felt. Young people's confidence, willingness to enter social spaces and relationships were magnified by ways that systems responded to their impairment, at worst fracturing their sense of feeling welcome and included.

This paper reports on the findings of a documentary analysis of policies and procedures relating to self-harm from a range of organisations working with young people in the UK. It identifies the extent to which policies and/or procedures relating to self-harm are available for service providers and offers a wider understanding of the concepts of self-harm and approaches to helping as incorporated into service guidance and delivery. It highlights the prevalence of self-harming behaviours in a climate of stigma and the need to define appropriate and supportive agency responses from a trained staff that is both sensitive and individualised. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study discusses young couples' interactions with maternity and health services paying particular attention to men's perspectives. Findings are based on research conducted in Scotland with men (aged 16-25) and their teenage partners (aged 16-19). Most young men were very involved in their child's life and provided support and care to their partner during pregnancy and in early parenthood. Men often felt excluded or judged when accessing services, although positive experiences were reported too. The study discusses ways in which maternity and health services can be better attuned to meet the needs of young couples and be inclusive of men.

This article describes a qualitative study exploring the impact of poverty on children's access to and use of services, which took a comparative approach to gather the views of children from more and less affluent households. Findings suggest affordability and related factors including limited mobility constrained service use for less affluent children, resulting in cumulative missed opportunities. However, extended family, friends and agencies facilitated service access, mitigating the impact of poverty on service use to some extent. Research implications include the importance of listening to and taking account of the views of children from lower income families in service planning.

In the UK, policies and academic writings about inter-ethnic relations have witnessed many changes in recent decades, with a growing focus on the effects of different forms of racism and anti-racism. Opinions have been diverse on the extent to which both the majority and minority populations should respect and adapt to each other's traditions. Relatively little research has been undertaken on the experiences and perceptions of children. This article reports on findings from three linked studies which highlight the viewpoints of white and minority ethnic children as they made the transition to secondary schools. With a few exceptions, the children felt that their schools respected their religious practices and other customs. Most children of minority backgrounds had mixed friendship groups and the range of achievements, experiences and attitudes in relation to school were largely unrelated to ethnic background. Hardly any young people saw teachers as overtly racist, though small numbers believed teachers discriminated in favour of other groups. Peer racism was endemic and reported to be more frequent in secondary school than primary school. Teacher responses were often seen as inadequate.

Purpose: The paper sets out to describe how children from disadvantaged areas perceive their communities and actively negotiate threats in their lives. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 60 interviews and 16 discussions groups were held with 8 to 14-year-olds sampled from four deprived communities located in the West of Scotland. Participants were asked about their local area and how they kept safe. Data were coded thematically and area, age and gender differences examined. Findings: Children mentioned both positive and negative aspects of their local area. Positive elements primarily related to being near friends and important adults. The negatives were linked to local youth gangs, adults, litter and graffiti, traffic, and drug and alcohol misuse. Participants used both preventive and reactive strategies to keep safe. Research limitations/implications: Owing to the strategies used to sample areas and participants, the extent to which findings can be generalised is limited. Thus, the study should be repeated on a larger scale, with areas and participants being randomly sampled. Practical implications: The article will enable practitioners and policy makers concerned with the wellbeing and safety of young people in deprived areas to frame interventions that are in line with children's own concerns and preferred means for dealing with challenges. Originality/value: The paper provides fresh insights into how children from deprived areas perceive their communities and deal with the risks and tensions they face. It highlights the subtle balancing involved in peer relationships that are central to both support and threats in children's everyday lives. (Contains 1 table.)

Drawing on relevant literature and a study carried out by the author and colleagues, this article reviews the evidence about children's expressed views on methods used by adults to obtain children's views. It identifies key considerations deployed by children to account for those preferences. Children are normally passive with respect to method choice, but they negotiate differing degrees of engagement related to considerations such as time control, comfort with the research medium, rewardingness and privacy. Their views about methods of research and consultation are sharply affected by notions of inclusiveness and fairness. (Contains 2 notes, 1 table, and 1 figure.)