KidS is a scientific research project that investigates the social contacts of children and parents. The project is conducted at the Institute of Sociology at Goethe University Frankfurt. KidS is funded by the European Research Council (ERC) of the European Union.
Children and adolescents spend a lot of time at school. There, they interact with other children and teenagers and form friendships with them. Schools are also places of social interaction for parents: they meet other parents, for example when dropping off or picking up their children, at parent-teacher meetings, or at school events.
Against the background of an increasingly diverse society, KidS therefore explores the following research questions:
1. How and why do friendships form among children and adolescents?
2. To what extent do parents make acquaintances—or even form friendships—in the school context? And what role do their children’s social contacts play in this?
To find answers to these questions, KidS surveys children and adolescents as well as their parents about their social contacts related to school. Children and adolescents complete a questionnaire directly at their schools. Parents can participate online by filling out a questionnaire at any time and from a location of their choice.
For more information, as well as our multimedia materials for children, adolescents, and parents, please use the menu to navigate to the relevant pages. If you would like to download our general information flyer for secondary schools, please click here. The information flyer for primary schools can be found here.
Children and adolescents, as well as their parents, will be surveyed a total of three times. The first survey will take place in spring 2026. The second and third surveys are planned for spring 2027 and 2028. Of course, the exact schedule will be coordinated with the timetables of the participating schools.
