School of Social & Political Sciences

Dr Silvia Behrens

  • Research Associate (Urban Studies & Social Policy)

Biography

Dr Silvia Behrens is a Research Associate at the School of Social & Political Science. She conducts research for a project that explores context, factors and approaches to educational exclusions and absences. The project is part of the 'Children and Young People' research theme at the ESRC-funded ADR Scotland.

Prior to joining University of Glasgow, Silvia completed her PhD in Social Policy at the University of Strathclyde investigating young people’s activism in the UK and held a postdoctoral role at the WiSE Centre for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University. With a background in Political Science (B.A.) and Cultural Studies (M.A.), she is interested in children and young people's lives and outcomes, including educational achievements and inequalities, migrant experiences and political participation.

Her professional experiences in policy and policy research include internships with the International Development Committee at House of Commons and the Directorate for External Affairs at the Scottish Government.

Research interests

  • educational inequalities: attainment, attendance and exclusions
  • linked administrative data, birth cohort studies, multilevel modelling and mixed-method research
  • youth activism, political participation and representation
  • migration, social inclusion and citizenship

Research groups

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2026 | 2025
Number of items: 12.

2026

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Early ASN identification and trajectories of school absence in Scotland. European Journal of Special Needs Education, (doi: 10.1080/08856257.2026.2713545) (Early Online Publication)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Longitudinal Analysis of School Absence of Pupils With and Without Additional Support Needs in Scotland. International Population Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3528)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Variation in Additional Support Needs Identification and Support Provision Across Schools and Local Authorities in Scotland. International Population Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3489)

Macintyre, Cecilia, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893 (2026) Enhancing Data Quality and Usability – Collaboration Between Data Owners and Researchers. International Populaton Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. ISBN 2399-4908 (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3695)

Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and MacIntyre, Cecilia (2026) Pathways of Disadvantage, Attendance and Exclusions into Attainment in Secondary School: a Whole Population Study of Educational Outcomes in Scotland. International Population Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3529)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Russell, Emma, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Data Insight: Understanding factors linked to school absence in Scotland. Project Report. ADR Scotland. (doi: 10.7488/era/7317).

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169 (2026) Steven Haines and David Ruebain (Eds.), Education, Disability and Social Policy (2nd Edition), Policy Press, 2025, 180 pages, ISBN: 978-1447369851, GBP 27.99. Journal of Social Policy, (doi: 10.1017/S0047279426101421)[Book Review]

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Russell, Emma, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Predictors of authorised, unauthorised and persistent absence among secondary school pupils in Scotland. British Educational Research Journal, (doi: 10.1002/berj.70162) (Early Online Publication)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169 (2026) “It’s like getting someone who’s been hit by a car to run a speed awareness course”: how young activists in the UK make sense of personal, collective and institutional agency. Youth and Society, 58(1), pp. 34-60. (doi: 10.1177/0044118X251346801)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169 (2026) Gender differences in political interest and participation among politically active youth. Journal of Youth Studies, 29(7), pp. 934-955. (doi: 10.1080/13676261.2025.2531771)

2025

Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Troncoso, Patricio, Williamson, Lee, Lee-Shield, Bethany and MacIntyre, Cecilia (2025) Predictors of Authorised and Unauthorised Absence of Secondary School Pupils in Scotland. ADR UK Conference 2025, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 16-18 September 2025. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v10i3.3009)

Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Williamson, Lee and MacIntyre, Cecilia (2025) Attendance and Risk of Exclusion among Scottish Secondary School Pupils with Additional Support Needs. ADR UK Conference 2025, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 16-18 September 2025. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v10i3.3011)

This list was generated on Sat Oct 17 15:03:23 2026 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Book Reviews | Research Reports or Papers | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 12.

Articles

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Early ASN identification and trajectories of school absence in Scotland. European Journal of Special Needs Education, (doi: 10.1080/08856257.2026.2713545) (Early Online Publication)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Russell, Emma, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Predictors of authorised, unauthorised and persistent absence among secondary school pupils in Scotland. British Educational Research Journal, (doi: 10.1002/berj.70162) (Early Online Publication)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169 (2026) “It’s like getting someone who’s been hit by a car to run a speed awareness course”: how young activists in the UK make sense of personal, collective and institutional agency. Youth and Society, 58(1), pp. 34-60. (doi: 10.1177/0044118X251346801)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169 (2026) Gender differences in political interest and participation among politically active youth. Journal of Youth Studies, 29(7), pp. 934-955. (doi: 10.1080/13676261.2025.2531771)

Book Reviews

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169 (2026) Steven Haines and David Ruebain (Eds.), Education, Disability and Social Policy (2nd Edition), Policy Press, 2025, 180 pages, ISBN: 978-1447369851, GBP 27.99. Journal of Social Policy, (doi: 10.1017/S0047279426101421)[Book Review]

Research Reports or Papers

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Russell, Emma, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Data Insight: Understanding factors linked to school absence in Scotland. Project Report. ADR Scotland. (doi: 10.7488/era/7317).

Conference or Workshop Item

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Longitudinal Analysis of School Absence of Pupils With and Without Additional Support Needs in Scotland. International Population Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3528)

Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Macintyre, Cecilia (2026) Variation in Additional Support Needs Identification and Support Provision Across Schools and Local Authorities in Scotland. International Population Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3489)

Macintyre, Cecilia, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893 (2026) Enhancing Data Quality and Usability – Collaboration Between Data Owners and Researchers. International Populaton Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. ISBN 2399-4908 (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3695)

Troncoso, Patricio ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2204-1893, Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Russell, Emma, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Williamson, Lee and MacIntyre, Cecilia (2026) Pathways of Disadvantage, Attendance and Exclusions into Attainment in Secondary School: a Whole Population Study of Educational Outcomes in Scotland. International Population Data Linkage Network Conference, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13-16 July 2026. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v11i5.3529)

Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Troncoso, Patricio, Williamson, Lee, Lee-Shield, Bethany and MacIntyre, Cecilia (2025) Predictors of Authorised and Unauthorised Absence of Secondary School Pupils in Scotland. ADR UK Conference 2025, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 16-18 September 2025. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v10i3.3009)

Treanor, Morag ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4377-4092, Troncoso, Patricio, Lee-Shield, Bethany, Behrens, Silvia ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2719-0169, Williamson, Lee and MacIntyre, Cecilia (2025) Attendance and Risk of Exclusion among Scottish Secondary School Pupils with Additional Support Needs. ADR UK Conference 2025, Cardiff, Wales, UK, 16-18 September 2025. (doi: 10.23889/ijpds.v10i3.3011)

This list was generated on Sat Oct 17 15:03:23 2026 BST.

Prior publications

Article

Silvia Behrens (2024) The Weight of Emotions: Exploring How Young Activists Feel About Their Identity, Agency and Political Participation YOUNG Crossref. (doi: 10.1177/11033088241254247)

Daniela Sime, Emmaleena Käkelä, Silvia Behrens (2024) New constellations of care: between local and transnational care practices of young Europeans living in the UK during the (im)mobility regimes of a pandemic Ethnic and Racial Studies Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/01419870.2024.2351631)

Daniela Sime, Silvia Behrens (2023) Marginalized (non)citizens: migrant youth political engagement, volunteering and performative citizenship in the context of Brexit Ethnic and Racial Studies Crossref. (doi: 10.1080/01419870.2022.2142061)

working-paper

Silvia Behrens (2024) Disinterested or just less confident? The gendered effects of interest and internal efficacy on young people’s non-electoral political participation WiSE Working Paper Glasgow Caledonian University CRIS. ISBN 9781914188145 (doi: 10.59019/YPQJ9743)

Book Section

Silvia Behrens (2023) How perception of agency influences young people's activism in the UK A Handbook of Children and Young People’s Participation: Conversations for Transformational Change Glasgow Caledonian University CRIS. ISBN 9781003367758

Silvia Behrens (2019) Theorien der Integration: Migrations- und Integrationsbeziehungen zwischen Frankreich und Algerien Migration und Interkulturalität: Theorien - Methoden - Praxisbezüge Glasgow Caledonian University CRIS. ISBN 9783631776834

Thesis

Silvia Behrens (2023) Young people’s activism in the UK: investigating the impact of perception and identity on non-electoral participation Glasgow Caledonian University CRIS.

Grants

  • 2019-2023 University of Strathclyde Student Excellence Award, PhD fees and stipend

Supervision

  • Chu, Hin Lok
    Getting There, Getting Ahead: the link between school non-attendance, transport mode and educational outcomes

Teaching

  • Quantitative Data Analysis (URBAN5127 and SPS5033)

Additional information

Silvia is Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and part of the editorial board of the British Educational Research Journal. She is a member of the College of Social Sciences Ethics Committee.


A profile photo of Silvia Behrens