Parent and child relationships are improving in Ireland, according to a new ERSI report.

They found a group of 13-year-olds surveyed in 2021 and 2022 reported “much lower levels of conflict” with their parents than a group of the same age who were surveyed in 2011 and 2012.

The study also reports that teens have fewer friends now than they did a decade previous, but more interest in sports and the online world.

Parent and child relationships

On Newstalk Breakfast today, Trinity College psychiatry Professor Brendan Kelly said the improvement of parent and child relationships is a positive take from the report.

“Conflict with mothers has declined, so has mother and daughter conflict declined,” he said.

“One of the reasons appears to be that parents are dealing differently with young people’s misbehaviour.

“There’s more explaining going on, less shouting and giving out in response to conflict.”

A child in her bedroom using a laptop computer to watch videos. Picture by: Jes2ufoto / Alamy Stock Photo

People “keep worrying” about the increasing amount of time children spend looking at screens, according to Prof Kelly.

“This survey shows us young people spend more time on screens than they did 10 years ago, but there’s been an increase in involvement in organised sports in this period,” he said.

"There are more people going to sporting clubs, more teenagers playing sports and the number of teenagers doing no exercise has fallen.

“There’s increased participation and increased improvements all around the place.”

Education improvements

He also noted education as another area of improvement.

“In education, there have been changes to the Junior Cert in the period studied,” he said.

“During that time, 13-year-olds have improved interest in English, Maths and especially Science.”

A group of teenage friends. Image: Lev Dolgachov / Alamy Stock Photo

Prof Kelly said “it’s not all good news”.

“The percent reporting large numbers of close friends has fallen,” he said.

“But the differences here aren’t enormous when you look at the data; people are still reporting having friends and I think the nature of friendship is changing.

“Certainly, middle-aged adults like me don’t have the full understanding of some friendships over social media which aren’t always reflected.”

The ERSI report found that 70% of children participate in a sporting activity every week, up 5% from a decade previous.

Main image: A mother talking with her teenage daughter. Image: insta_photos / Alamy Stock Photo