Topic description and stories

Understanding the implications of enabling children to grow into healthy, happy, educated and inquiring adults, in safety and free from adversity.

Cover image from Modern Families: Parents and Children in New Family Forms

Families with a difference: the reality behind the hype

12 Mar 2015

Families come in many guises. Some parents are same-sex; others are single by choice. Growing numbers of children are conceived through assistive...

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“You need to ignore it, babe”: how mothers prepare young children for the reality of racism

19 Jan 2015

Research among mothers with young children living in multicultural London shows that racism is a reality for children as young as five – and that...

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Children play in the fountain at Somerset House (cropped)

A step towards solving the enduring puzzle of ‘infantile amnesia’

29 Nov 2014

A study led by Professor James Russell shines a light on the phenomenon of 'infantile amnesia'. He argues that children's ability to recall events...

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Still from animation "Our House"

Trilogy of short films explores young people’s views of life in social care

27 Nov 2014

A powerful new short film created with young people in residential care is helping provide valuable insights for service providers into the...

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Diabetes

Overnight home use of artificial pancreas ‘feasible and beneficial’

22 Apr 2014

Children with type 1 diabetes have been able to use pioneering artificial pancreas technology, developed at the University of Cambridge, for the...

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Wellies

When mothers are active so are their children – but many mothers are not

24 Mar 2014

A study of physical activity patterns of women and their four-year-olds reveals a strong association between the two. It also shows that only 53% of...

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Still from animation "Finding My Way"

Cambridge animation scoops BFI award

12 Mar 2014

From 12 Years A Slave to Dallas Buyers Club , the films winning most praise at this year’s award ceremonies have tackled some tough issues. Now, a...

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Sad

Biomarker for depression could improve diagnosis and treatment

17 Feb 2014

Teenage boys with symptoms of depression and raised levels of the stress hormone cortisol are up to 14 times more likely to develop major depression...

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Mods & Rockers 1960s - 1970s

Generation blame: how age affects our views of anti-social behaviour

24 Jan 2014

Research reveals disconnect between what adults and young people interpret as anti-social behaviour (ASB), as 40% of adults see young people...

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Never too young to talk about death?

07 Nov 2013

Talking to children about death is a difficult and delicate task, but it is sometimes also necessary. While many adults shy away from discussing the...

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Assisted Reproduction and Family Development: The New Parents Study

01 Nov 2013

Alice Winstanley and Kate Ellis-Davies, are researchers in the Applied Developmental Psychology Research Group working on The New Parents Study , a...

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