Situation
Puberty is a crucial period. When children and young people go through puberty, their satisfaction with their bodies declines, and attention to their own and others’ bodies intensifies. The bodily changes that take place during puberty can affect children’s and young people’s self-esteem, social relationships and participation in communities. The Danish Family Planning Association (DFPA) works to strengthen everyone’s right and freedom to decide over their own body. This is done, among other things, by strengthening children’s and young people’s wellbeing through information and sex education, for example via 'Uge Sex', Denmark’s largest teaching campaign, run by DFPA. In connection with Uge Sex 2026, DFPA therefore wanted more knowledge about how children and young people experience puberty.
Complication
Puberty is the time in children’s and young people’s lives when the body changes the most. In this context, DFPA requested more knowledge about how puberty affects children’s and young people’s behaviour and wellbeing. Epinion therefore carried out a study for DFPA. The study comprised a survey of more than 1,000 respondents aged 10 to 15, combined with five qualitative duo interviews, in which the target group themselves could put words to their experiences of puberty.
Recommendation
The study shows that the experience of puberty varies depending on wellbeing and gender. DFPA and Epinion recommend a coordinated effort by parents, schools and politicians. Parents can support their children by inviting early and ongoing conversations about puberty. Schools can work actively to strengthen wellbeing through safe settings with room for diversity. Politicians can improve the conditions for sex education, so that children and young people gain knowledge about bodily development, boundaries and rights, thereby giving them the agency to act in their own lives and in the communities they are part of.
Link for DFPA's full report (in Danish).
