Water Safety Research
The BSA commissioned DJS Research to explore the swimming capability, confidence and water safety knowledge of children and young people.
The BSA commissioned DJS Research to explore the swimming capability, confidence and water safety knowledge of children and young people.
In July 2022, an online survey was completed by 1,000 children of primary (9-11 years old) and secondary (13-16 years old) school age. The survey explored the claimed aquatic skills and confidence of children and young people, as well as their knowledge of the Water Safety Code and awareness of what to do in emergency scenarios.
43%
of children and young people from ethnically diverse communities said they could swim at least 25 metres without stopping, compared to 61% of White children and young people
35%
of children and young people from ethnically diverse communities stated they could stop in deep water, shout for help and swim again, compared to 57% of White children and young people
28%
of children and young people from ethnically diverse communities correctly answered four water safety scenarios, compared to 43% of White children and young people
By building on the Water Safety Research, the BSA is developing a Water Safety Index™. The WSI™ is a tool used to measure a person’s risk of getting into danger in open water, based on their aquatic competence, confidence and water safety knowledge. In 2023, we started testing the WSI™ in the context of the BSA’s Together We Can © programme, and in 2024 we will continue testing the WSI™ via a series of school pilots.