CRED responses, bullying exposure and children’s well-being: insights from Northern Ireland’s kids’ life and times survey

Purpose This study aims to examine whether responses to Community Relations, Equality and Diversity (CRED) activities and exposure to bullying-related forms are associated with mental well-being among Primary 7 pupils in Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data were drawn from 4,360 pupils in 169 schools participating in the 2024 Kids’ Life and Times survey. The primary robust maximum likelihood/full-information maximum likelihood structural equation model used 4,355 records and specified CRED equality-response, bullying-form exposure and KIDSCREEN-10 well-being factors. Ordered-categorical weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) and the heteroskedasticity-consistent covariance matrix estimator (Type 3) (HC3) regressions assessed robustness. Findings The CRED profile had a small positive association with well-being (β = 0.055, p = 0.004), whereas bullying-form exposure had a substantially stronger negative association (β = −0.448, p < 0.001). The predictors explained 20.5 per cent of latent well-being variance. The observed interaction was non-significant (β = −0.006, p = 0.680). Model fit was mixed, and WLSMV reproduced the structural pattern. Research limitations/implications The CRED items capture reported attitudinal change or non-change across equality topics, not the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child knowledge, perceived rights respect or rights consciousness. The CRED coefficient varied under alternative coding, and the voluntary, cross-sectional dataset lacked school identifiers and survey weights. Originality/value By distinguishing CRED-related equality responses from children’s rights awareness and comparing latent and observed models, the study offers a calibrated account of two distinct correlates of children’s well-being.