Goldsmiths - University of London

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Unit For School And Family Studies

The Unit was established within the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths in late 1998. The aims of the Unit are to pursue research in the areas of social development, particularly as they affect children in school, and families. The Unit currently has a head, research staff, postgraduate students, placement students, and visiting research fellows from overseas.

Areas of research

Our main areas of research are

  1. bullying and violence in schools: understanding bullying and violence in schools and the success of different anti-bullying strategies; comparative work on bullying in England, Japan, China and Korea; a study of attributional processes in victimisation; investigations into cyberbullying; the nature and effectiveness of peer support schemes in schools 
  2. the outcomes of adult mentoring schemes for children, such as ChanceUK
  3. the role of grandparents in society: the quality of grandparent-grandchild relationships, including the impact of new technologies in older people
  4. general family research: use of the Family Systems Test and other measures to examine links between school/peer group and family relations;

Latest news

DCSF/Goldsmiths anti-bullying interventions project (2008 -2010)

Phase 3 - Follow up Schools Questionnaire (January- March 2010)

Phase 1 (November 2008 – April 2009): Many thanks to the schools and Local Authorities that have responded by returning the DCSF/Goldsmiths questionnaire on a range of anti-bullying interventions. This part of the study is now finished.

Phase 2 (May 2009 – January 2010): Thirty Six schools (16 primary; 17 secondary; 1 special and 2 PRUs) have been involved in a more in-depth study. They have been recruited from all the regions in England. This part of the study is now finished.

Phase 3 (January – March 2010): The 1400 schools that returned questionnaires in Phase 1 are to be sent a follow-up questionnaire to be completed and returned by the end of the Spring term. The questionnaires will be sent directly to the schools by mailing list but are also accessible in electronic and print form.

Feel free to contact us for any further information:

Fran Thompson, pss01ft@gold.ac.uk,
020 8244 6117, (Researcher)
Peter K Smith, pss01pks@gold.ac.uk,
020 79197898, (Professor and Head of Unit)