By 12 years of age, young people are gaining greater autonomy, which includes increasing independence from parents and whānau and developing their own sense of identity, agency and decision making. This autonomy is multidimensional – it can be seen in the ways young people behave and move about, how they express emotion, and how they think.
At the 12-year-old data collection wave, Growing Up in New Zealand measured three key constructs that relate to young people’s autonomy:
Parental supervision and monitoring
Independence in the neighbourhood
Financial independence
This factsheet describes the data collected from the Growing Up in New Zealand birth cohort at age 12 years and highlights research possibilities in relation to emerging autonomy and independence in adolescence.
Funding
Crown funding managed by the Ministry of Social Development