FEATURE ARTICLE: CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN DANCING


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Introduction

Dancing

Sex

Age

State or territory of residence

Family characteristics

Country of birth

References


INTRODUCTION

In April 2009, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducted the fourth survey of Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities (CPCLA). The previous surveys were conducted in April of 2000, 2003 and 2006. The survey collects information on participation in selected organised cultural and leisure activities and attendance at selected cultural venues and events, outside of school hours by children aged 5 to 14 years. Information on activities undertaken during school hours is not collected. This article focuses on the data collected on children's participation in dancing. In particular, it focuses on changes between 2000 and 2009 as well as identifying significant differences between comparable categories within each survey period where possible.

All dates referred to in this article relate to the 12 months to April of the survey year.

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DANCING

For the purposes of the CPCLA, the ABS considers dancing to include formal dancing lessons (e.g. ballet and callisthenics), musicals and eisteddfods where the child's predominant activity was dancing. The dancing must have occurred outside of school hours and may have included lessons, practising and performances.

The overall participation rate for children aged 5 to 14 years in Australia who danced increased significantly from 10.4% in 2000 to 14.3% in 2009. Significant increases were also evident between selected survey periods, with the participation rate in dancing increasing from 10.4% in 2000 to 12.4% in 2003 and again between 2006 (12.5%) and 2009 (14.3%).

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SEX

In the 12 months to April 2009, there were approximately 348,500 females and 41,900 males aged 5 to 14 years in Australia who participated in dancing. The participation rate for males was 3.0% in 2009 which was significantly higher than the 1.7% recorded in 2000. Male participation rates also showed a significant increase from 1.6% in 2003 to 2.4% in 2006. The female participation rate increased significantly from 20% in 2000 to 26% in 2009. Female participation rates continue to increase at a higher rate than that of males, resulting in 23% more females than males participating in dancing in 2009, compared with 18% in 2000. There was a significant increase in the female participation rate from 2000 (20%) to 2003 (24%) and again between 2006 (23%) to 2009 (26%).

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AGE

There were approximately 390,400 children aged 5 to 14 years in Australia who participated in dancing in the 12 months to April 2009. Of these, over 178,600 were aged 5 to 8 years, around 119,500 were aged 9 to 11 years and close to 92,200 were aged 12 to 14 years. The participation rates for these age groups in 2009 were 17%, 15% and 11% respectively.

The participation rates for all age groups significantly increased between 2000 and 2009 (12% in 2000 to 17% in 2009 for 5 to 8 year olds, 10% to 15% for 9 to 11 year olds and 8.3% to 11% for 12 to 14 year olds). In 2009, the highest participation rate was recorded amongst 5 to 8 year olds (17%) and the lowest participation rate was seen in the 12 to 14 year old age group (11%). The 12 to 14 age group recorded the lowest participation rate for all reference periods demonstrating that as children get older, their participation in dancing falls.

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STATE OR TERRITORY OF RESIDENCE

The participation rate for children aged 5 to 14 years in Australia who participated in dancing in the 12 months to April 2009 was 14%. The participation rate was highest in Western Australia (16%), followed by New South Wales (15%), Victoria (14%), Queensland (14%), South Australia (13%), Australian Capital Territory (12%), Northern Territory (11%) and Tasmania (9%). Victoria and South Australia were the only state or territories to record a significant change between 2006 and 2009. In Victoria, the participation rate increased from 11% in 2006 to 14% in 2009, while South Australia recorded an increase from 8.6% in 2006 to 13% in 2009. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia recorded a significant increase between the 2000 and 2009 reference periods.

There was a significant difference in the participation rates between children in metropolitan and ex-metropolitan areas, with children in metropolitan areas recording a participation rate of 15% compared to 13% of children in ex-metropolitan areas. Comparisons for metropolitan and ex-metropolitan areas are only available for the 2006 and 2009 reference periods. In 2009, almost 246,400 children aged 5 to 14 years in metropolitan areas and just over 144,000 children in ex-metropolitan areas reported having some participation in dancing. This is in comparison to 2006, when just over 196,600 children aged between 5 and 14 years in metropolitan areas participated in dancing and almost 136,000 in ex-metropolitan areas. There was an increase in the participation rate of children in the 5 to 14 year old age group who reside in metropolitan areas, from 12% in 2006 to 15% in 2009.

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FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS

In 2009 there were almost 333,500 children aged 5 to 14 years in couple families and close to 56,900 children in one-parent families who participated in dancing in the 12 months to April 2009. Children in couple families recorded a higher participation rate than children from one-parent families for 2003 (13% for children in couple families compared with 11% for children in one-parent families), 2006 (14% compared with 8.1%) and 2009 (16% compared with 10%). There was a significant decrease in the participation rate for children in one parent families from 2003 (11%) to 2006 (8.1%). In contrast, there was a significant increase in the participation rates for couple families between 2000 (11%) and 2003 (13%) and again between 2006 (14%) and 2009 (16%).

Children who were aged 5 to 14 years and in families where 2 parents were employed, recorded a higher participation rate in dancing than the other two family types (1 parent employed and parent(s) unemployed) for all survey periods. For this family type, there was a significant increase in the participation rate from 12% in 2000 to 14% in 2003 and again between 2006 (14%) and 2009 (17%). The participation rate for families with 1 parent employed significantly increased from 10% in 2000 to 12% in 2003 and has remained at that level since. Children who reported some participation in dancing and were in families where parent(s) were unemployed, recorded the lowest participation rate for all survey periods. However in 2009 the participation rate for this family type was not significantly different from families with a parent employed.

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COUNTRY OF BIRTH

The survey results show that for children aged 5 to 14 years living in Australia, there was no significant difference in dancing participation rates between those children who were born in Australia and those who were born overseas, except in 2006. In 2006 the participation rate in dancing for children born in Australia (13%) was significantly higher compared with the participation rate of those children born overseas (7.8%).

There was a significant increase in the participation rate for children born in Australia from 11% in 2000 to 14% in 2009. During all survey periods, the only significant change that occurred in the participation rates for children born overseas was an increase from 7.8% in 2006 to 13% in 2009.

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REFERENCES

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2009, Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2009 (cat. no. 4901.0), ABS, Canberra.

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