The survey of children aged 10-15 in England and Wales, launched in 2009, was previously conducted through face-to-face interviews alongside the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), but fewer people were taking part following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has moved the survey online, which allows children to complete their responses independently without an interviewer or parent alongside them.

The survey is also now conducted independently from the main CSEW, with the ONS inviting eligible children directly using information from existing education and NHS records.

The ONS redesigned the survey based on feedback from a consultation in 2022, research and testing with children and working with policy specialists from government, charities and independent organisations.

There were nearly four times as many ( 6,000 ) responses from the new survey and the level of participation exceeded 40%, according to the ONS, which is using insights from the survey redesign into wider work on increasing participation across ONS surveys generally.

Writing in a blog post about the changes, Caroline Youell from the ONS Centre of Crime and Justice, said: “Moving the survey online marks an important step in improving how we collect information from children and young people. 

“Although there will be a break in the long-term data series, we believe the benefits of a more accessible, representative and modern survey outweigh the loss of direct comparability. In the long run, these improvements will help us build a richer and more accurate picture of children’s experiences, behaviours and perceptions, ensuring the survey continues to provide valuable insights for years to come.”