Information
This section includes reports, survey results, interviews, broadcasts, etc.
Safe and Supportive Families & Communities for Children
A paper written by Lalitha Nair from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, reviews the research on building safe and supportive families and communities for children in Australia. Based on assessments of 22 evaluation reports, it examines the evidence base in the areas of: community attitudes and awareness of child safety, parenting and family support, and child-friendly communities. The paper synthesises the findings and discusses the implications for future research in child protection.
Cyber Safety Resources for Schools
“Tagged” encourages young people to reflect on the real life consequences caused by cyberbullying, sexting, and a negative digital reputation. The themes of personal and peer safety and responsibility are crucial to maintaining positive online behaviour and digital reputation into adulthood. Tagged is recommended for use with students aged 14 years and over, and is available free of charge to all schools.
Tom Calma Speaks on Mental Health in Communities
The chair of a new advisory body on Aboriginal suicide prevention says a new approach will aim to provide help for people before they consider self-harm. Dr Tom Calma was recently interviewed by Thecla Brogan from the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) Radio. Dr Calma believes that it is crucial to implement programs that build up resilience and strength in communities, and hopes to have a solid strategy in place by October. The interview runs for approximately 10 minutes.
Our Young GLBT People are Suffering from Poor Mental Health
Young people aged 16 to 24 were more likely than any other age group to hide their sexuality or gender identity a study co-managed by La Trobe University and Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria has found. La Trobe University research fellow Liam Leonard said the results showed GLBT people suffered poorer mental health than the broader population. ‘The most common health conditions among participants were depression and anxiety/nervous disorders,’ Mr Leonard said. The full study, supported by national depression initiative beyondblue, the university and the Victorian government will be unveiled by Victorian Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge and beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett on Tuesday 10 April 2012.
Consultants Called in to Stop NT School Violence
On 3 April 2012, James Glenday from the ABC News reported that Consultants will be paid to help stop and manage extreme violence in Northern Territory schools. In March last year, a teacher was punched and then stabbed by a 14-year-old student at the Nightcliff Middle School in Darwin’s north. The incident prompted a review and the Education Department now plans to pay an external training organisation to teach teachers how to stop or reduce extreme violence in the classroom. Four companies have tendered for the 12-month contract.
Recent Media Release on Stronger Futures & Education
In a joint media release with Peter Garrett MP, Warren Snowdon MP, and Senator Trish Crossin on 2 April 2012; the Honourable Jenny Macklin MP commented that School attendance and enrolment rates in many NT communities are still unacceptable and more needs to be done to ensure all children are getting a decent education and attending school every day. As part of the $583 million investment over the next ten years in the Stronger Futures Package, the Government will ensure that 200 teaching positions are retained in remote Northern Territory schools to ensure children have access to quality teaching.
NT Inquiry into Youth Suicide
The final committee report on the NT Inquiry into Youth Suicide was printed by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory in March 2012. Continue reading for a link to the report plus some recent articles in response. Thanks to Laurencia Grant from the Mental Health Association of Central Australia for putting these links together for distribution.
Understanding and Referring to eheadspace
eheadspace is an online counselling website designed to provide support to young people aged 12-25 years through interactions with trained clinicians. Available for free, it’s anonymous and confidential, and offers a new way for young people to access mental health professionals online. ReachOut.com Youth Ambassador Sophie interviews Carmen Garrett about the logic behind eheadspace, and how professionals can use it effectively to support young people’s mental health.
Latest Australian Homelessness Statistics
A new report by the Australian Bureau of statistics (ABS) that compares the lives of 1.1 million Australians who have experienced homelessness with the general population paints a stark and depressing picture, according to Mission Australia. The new ABS report “Australian Social Trends - March Quarter 2012,” shows that 18 to 34-year-olds made up 55 per cent of Australians who’d been homeless in the past 10 years amongst many other startling statistics.
Remote NT Driver Training Program
A new driver education program is being rolled out in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Aboriginal people living in remote areas face difficulties getting access to driver training programs and licensing services. Observers say it one of the reasons why they are more than twice as likely to die in road crashes than non-Indigenous Australians. A new government-funded program called DriveSafe NT Remote is aimed at improving the situation. From next month, driving instructors will spend a week at a time in remote communities educating participants on road rules, first aid skills, car maintenance and drug and alcohol safety.
Improving Safety in Northern Territory Aboriginal Communities
Strengthened remote policing, community night patrols and legal assistance services are critical to continuing to improve safety and build stronger futures for Aboriginal people in remote Northern Territory communities. On 28 March 2012, the Australian Government announced a $619 million funding boost to provide these services in remote communities across the NT for the next 10 years, as part of the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory package.
More Staff Needed to Tackle NT Suicides
Specialist police, youth workers and mental health staff are needed in at-risk areas to help stem the high rate of young people killing themselves in the Northern Territory. The Select Committee on Youth Suicides in the NT tabled its 215-page report in the NT parliament on Tuesday 27 March, 2012. It said the rate of youth suicide in the Northern Territory was 3.5 times higher than the national average, with Aborigines accounting for 75 per cent of all child suicides between 2007 and 2011.
School Security CCTV Puts Bullies on Pause
Hi-Tech surveillance cameras installed in schools to stop crime and even terrorism have had an unexpected benefit - slashing bullying and playground violence. Cameras in New South Wale’s most high-risk schools dramatically cut the number of criminal acts, break-ins and vandalism, their intended targets, but also curbed student bullying.
Helping Young People Cope with Stressful Events
There are many events or incidents that can be categorised as stressful for young people. Examples of these include being involved in or witnessing an accident, being a victim of or witnessing abuse or violence, or losing someone that is close. Any stressful event can have an influence on how young people feel emotionally. ReachOut.com has some useful fact sheets and related links to assist young people in coping with stressful events.
Attracting Coverage in Your Local Media
For any community group or not-for-profit organisation in the Youth Sector, the local media should be viewed as a key plank of its communications efforts. Not only is coverage in the local media often easier to get in comparison to national media, but it is often more relevant to your group’s members, supporters, volunteers, donors and other stakeholders, particularly for us here in the Territory. Our Community has a number of useful factsheets which can assist you in preparing a winning formula for your marketing and media strategies.
Youth Justice Conferences - Participant Profile & Conference Characteristics
This issues paper prepared by Isabel Taussig from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, describes the experience of attending a Youth Justice Conference, with regard to how long conferences take, who attends, what kinds of outcomes are agreed on, and whether these factors change in respect to the age, Indigenous status or gender of the young offender, or the location of the conference.
Positive Body Image Awards
The nomination period for the Positive Body Image Awards has been extended. The new closing date is 10 April 2012. The Awards aim to recognise the positive steps taken by the media and entertainment, fashion and advertising industries to adopt the principles outlined in the Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image. It is anticipated that finalists will be announced in May 2012, and that the Award Winners will be publicly recognised for their positive body image initiatives.
Calls to Put an End to Child Detention
Australian Youth Mental Health Foundation adds voice to calls for the end of child detention!
headspace CEO Chris Tanti believes that asylum seeker children should not be detained. “Detention centres provide the direct opposite of protective factors and conditions necessary for young people who have been exposed to trauma. They need safe, stable accommodation appropriate to their age, gender, cultural background and family situation and importantly they need access to mental health support services.”
New book Evaluates Indigenous Education
Just 30 per cent of Indigenous students are completing Year 12 – compared to 76 per cent of non-Indigenous students – a rate that has increased by just three per cent in the past 10 years. This data is among the new findings in a revised book on Aboriginal education by Edith Cowan University academics Professor Quentin Beresford, Professor Gary Partington and Mr Graeme Gower.
Jim Stynes Youth Scholarships Announced
The Federal Government has backed a youth scholarship program to the value of $3 million dollars for disadvantaged kids in honour of former Melbourne Football Club player Jim Stynes. Prime Minister Gillard Gillard said that the scholarships will be given to young Australians to help them achieve their education, community and sporting goals.