Health & Society Blog Archive
Here you will find an archive of Health & Society Blog articles published before 1 January 2020, divided into their relevant categories.
Children & Families
![A black and white image of a woman with her hand covering her face](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/adult-black-and-white-darkness-640x427.png)
Is coercive control a crime?
Reading Time: 4 minutes In 2016 a man called Lance Hart shot his wife Claire and daughter Charlotte outside a swimming pool in Lincolnshire, England, before turning his shotgun on himself. Some of the media coverage of the murder
![Image of children running](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Image-of-children-running_from-pxhere-640x427.png)
Childhood obesity and inactivity – a lifelong problem?
Reading Time: 6 minutes By Lesley-Ann Black & Dan Hull This article examines levels of childhood obesity and inactivity in our children in Northern Ireland and asks what more can be done to address this public health problem. A
![An image showing a child in a thumbs up pose](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Child-in-a-thumbs-up-pose-640x427.png)
Cross-border child protection in the EU
Reading Time: 4 minutes A significant number of European Union laws and policies have a direct role in protecting and promoting children’s rights. What has the EU achieved in the area of cross-border child protection?
Community Relations
![Peace wall graffiti, Belfast (Image by Still Burning under Creative Commons)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Graffiti_Belfast-peace-wall-640x426.png)
‘Good Relations’ in Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 3 minutes Are we still sectarian, or the ‘race-hate capital’?
![Reconciliation sculpture i nthe grounds of the Stormont Estate, by the artist Josefina de Vasconcellos.](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/PB-STORMONT-MCOOPER070-640x427.png)
Dealing with the past in Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 3 minutes One area that has created considerable political division in Northern Ireland is how to deal with a contested past. Broadly, ‘dealing with the past’ tends to refer to issues relating to people affected by the
Culture & Sport
![An image showing the start of the Giro d'Italia bike race with Parliament Buildings, Stormont in the background](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Giro-start-2014-640x425.png)
Is Northern Ireland ‘Open’ for business? Examining the social and economic impact of sporting events
Reading Time: 7 minutes This article draws on recent experiences of Government-funded sporting events in Northern Ireland (NI), highlighting a number of those events, in particular their economic and social benefits. Such past events have helped to develop NI’s
![Image of the 'Harvests from Land and Sea' exhibition at Down County Museum (image used courtesy of Down County Museum)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Down-County-Museum_skiff-640x397.png)
Measuring museum success: How and why?
Reading Time: 7 minutes Northern Ireland (NI) currently has 44 Accredited museums. But how does this compare with elsewhere and how should we go about assessing whether our museums are performing well? This article looks at some of the
![Image of children running](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Image-of-children-running_from-pxhere-640x427.png)
Childhood obesity and inactivity – a lifelong problem?
Reading Time: 6 minutes By Lesley-Ann Black & Dan Hull This article examines levels of childhood obesity and inactivity in our children in Northern Ireland and asks what more can be done to address this public health problem. A
Equality
![A bar graph showing the gender pay gap in Northern Ireland since 1998](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Figure-1-The-gender-pay-gap-in-Northern-Ireland-since-1997-640x251.png)
What is the Gender Pay Gap in Northern Ireland in 2019?
Reading Time: 5 minutes By Michael Scholes & Aidan Stennett To highlight International Women’s Day, this blog article updates a previous one examining the Gender Pay Gap in Northern Ireland, by presenting the latest 2018 data. The UK Government
![A photo showing the Chairperson (Kellie Armstrong MLA) and Deputy Chairperson (Megan Fearon MLA) of the Northern Ireland Assembly Women's Caucus (photo courtesy of Politics Plus)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Womens-caucus-640x425.png)
Who runs Northern Ireland? Taking stock of gender and power in Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 4 minutes Please note that more up-to-date statistics on gender representation can be found in the RaISe research paper Who Runs Northern Ireland? A Summary of Statistics Relating to Gender and Power in 2020. The late feminist
![Image by perzonseo.com, used under Creative Commons 2.0](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Man-and-woman-at-work-640x426.png)
What is the gender pay gap in Northern Ireland?
Reading Time: 6 minutes By Michael Scholes & Aidan Stennett Please note: we have posted a new version of this blog article using the most recent data, see here. To highlight International Women’s Day, the following article updates our
Health & Social Care
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Suicide statistics and strategy in Northern Ireland: Update
Reading Time: 10 minutes By Lesley-Ann Black and Keara McKay This article is an updated version of a piece which was published on Research Matters in February 2019. It includes statistics updated with 2018 figures, a revised distribution map,
![An image showing free sanitary products in a box](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Image-1_free-sanitary-products-640x479.png)
Free periods? Period poverty, its impact on education, and policy responses to the issue
Reading Time: 7 minutes Period poverty is a topical issue, globally and within the United Kingdom (UK). Recently, there has been some concern about the relationship between period poverty and school attendance. In addition, the reduction of taxation on
![Image depicting a farm with a dramatic sky](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Farm-near-Lisburn-640x422.png)
Farmers and mental health
Reading Time: 5 minutes In this Mental Health Awareness Week, which also coincides with this year’s Balmoral Show, this article examines an issue which has received comparatively little attention and on which, so far, not much research has been
Housing
![A row of 'To Let' signs in Belfast](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/To-let-2a-640x297.png)
Is it appropriate ‘to let’ residential letting agents in Northern Ireland away with lighter touch regulation?
Reading Time: 5 minutes The private rented sector plays a vital role in the Northern Ireland housing market. There has been a focus on the regulation of the sector in recent years in the form of landlord registration, tenancy
![Edwardian chimneys in Belfast](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Edwardian-rooftops-Belfast-640x351.png)
‘Housing First’: An alternative approach to addressing homelessness?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Homelessness strategies across Europe have traditionally focused on a housing-led approach. This approach prioritises treatment and addiction recovery. Service users transition through stages of temporary accommodation before permanent housing is made available. In contrast, the ‘Housing
![Blurred image of multiple faces](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Many-faces-640x427.png)
The many faces of homelessness in Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 5 minutes Homelessness is a highly emotive issue and attention on the plight of those who are homeless in Northern Ireland has gained particular momentum over recent months with housing, homelessness and many other organisations working determinedly
Immigration
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A demographic profile of Northern Ireland in 2017
Reading Time: 6 minutes This paper presents a brief demographic profile of Northern Ireland, updating a previous article on this subject in 2016. It shows emerging trends in the population, and comparisons with other UK countries, Ireland, and the
![An image showing shelters within a refugee camp in Turkey](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Refugee_Camp_in_Turkey-640x360.png)
Fleeing from conflict: Refugees and Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 3 minutes The most recent Global Report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that over 71 million people were ‘of concern’ in 2017. This includes refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless
![Bar chart showing population change in Northern Ireland by age band, between 2004 and 2014 (Source: NISRA (2015) Northern Ireland Population Estimates 2014)](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/NI-Pop-change-by-age-640x419.jpg)
A demographic profile of Northern Ireland in 2016
Reading Time: 5 minutes Please note: we have posted a new version of this blog article using the most recent data, see here. This article presents a brief demographic profile of Northern Ireland, showing emerging trends in the population,
Third Sector
![An image of two hands: there may be testing times ahead for the Third Sector](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Third-Sector-Image-300dpi-640x426.jpg)
Testing times ahead for the Third Sector
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Third Sector makes a substantial, but at times unrecognised, contribution to society in Northern Ireland. It is a key provider of health/social care; housing/housing support; education and training; environmental protection; childcare; youth services; sport,
Welfare
![A word cloud depicting key words relating to welfare reform](https://www.assemblyresearchmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Welfare-Reform-word-cloud-1-640x640.jpg)
The challenge of implementing welfare reform in Northern Ireland
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Welfare Reform Bill was undoubtedly one of the most contentious pieces of legislation to come before the Assembly in the last mandate. Where have we got to and what challenges lie ahead?