CYP Matters

Respect and listening

Yarning circles used to identify barriers to school attendance for young Aboriginal women in WA
The barriers to school attendance that affect young Aboriginal people in Australia are diverse, immense and well documented; however, except for a handful of studies, Aboriginal students’ voices receive no platform for policy makers to hear them. This paper showcases the power of the yarning circle as a tool for collaboration. More >

Enjoying and achieving

High Stakes High School – The experiences of South Australian Year 12 students
Research shows that the benefits of completing Year 12 are not evenly distributed amongst the community in the way we might expect. The social, economic, geographic, and ethnic backgrounds of young people are known to have a direct impact on each student’s educational outcomes, subsequent career choice and economic success. More >

Lines of wonder
No one teaches children how to be creative or feel a sense of wonder. It is not something that is learned like reading or writing, but something that emerges in the right kind of environment. More >

When parents are supported to read and play children are more ready for school
Research in the US has shown that when parents are guided to read and play with their babies, they are more tuned in to their cognitive development which in turn leads to improved school readiness by the age of four years. More >

Participation

Research with and by children: A systematic literature review
The choice to conduct research projects done with or by children reflects a standpoint that appreciates children’s position as agentic beings and acknowledges their expertise. This paper reports on a systematic review of peer-reviewed research relating to children as researchers. More >

Prepared for adult life

Children in Australia’s poorest households have about 10% chance of becoming top earners
This report into intergenerational income mobility examined the incomes of more than 1 million children born in Australia between 1978 and 1982. It found poverty in the bottom income decile is particularly entrenched. More >

Lived experience voices: insights into young people’s transition from the child protection and youth justice system in South Australia
Each year, approximately 10,000 to 11,000 children and young people nationally are discharged from out-of-home care. There is little evidence of the perspectives of the young people who have made these transitions and their views of what would have improved their transition. More >

Health and wellbeing

Adelaide BMX program aims to improve young people’s mental health with ‘practical’ approach
South Australian teenagers are riding BMX bikes for mental health relief. Weekly sessions run by Lighthouse Youth Projects work to engage young people who have had a rough start to life. The program includes
BMX coaching and life skills mentoring. More >

Social media triggers children to dislike their own bodies, says study
A major new study warns that social media represents a significant risk to the current and future health of today’s young generations. Nearly half of all children and young people aged from 12 to 21 surveyed said they have become withdrawn, started exercising excessively, stopped socialising completely or self-harmed because they are regularly bullied or trolled online about their physical appearance. More >

Mental health literacy and interventions for school-aged children
Mental health literacy is knowledge and a holistic understanding of mental health to obtain good mental health and develop positive coping behaviours. It can be cultivated and grown over time, with skills able to be applied individually and to help others. More >

Safe and nurtured

Report of the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care
This report discusses the outcomes and recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care in South Australia which received 206 submissions, including 149 from individual foster or kinship carers. More >

New research finds that schools delivering specialist Relationship and Sex Education lessons can significantly reduce violence in partner relationships
Violence in teenage relationships is a significant problem. New evidence has found that programmes that specifically aim to reduce violence between young people in partner relationships could make a real difference, by reducing crime like emotional, physical, and sexual violence, psychological abuse, stalking or harassment. More >

Professional foster care models ‘no-brainer’ for more government funding, sector leaders say
Mr Ramos is one of seven foster carers in Victoria paid a $75,000 wage and offered 24-hour support through the Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) program. Under TFCO, a set plan and large team work towards giving children social and behavioural skills to thrive in their next home with another long-term foster carer or their families. More >

‘There’s a lot of places where you can’t be seen’: how bullying can be invisible to adults
School bullying is a huge and distressing problem. A 2022 Mission Australia survey of young Australians aged 15-19 years found 47% were ‘extremely’ or ‘somewhat concerned about bullying. Despite all the research about bullying, it is rare to hear directly from young people about what bullying looks like in their everyday lives. More >

Compelling safety disclosures from the world’s biggest tech firms
In August 2022, eSafety sent the first legal notices issued under Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021, Basic Online Safety Expectations to Apple, Meta (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp), Microsoft, Skype, Omegle and Snap. Each company was asked a series of questions about how they are protecting children from sexual abuse. Their responses are nothing short of alarming. More >

Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021-2031 Action Plans
Safe and Supported will be delivered through two sets of action plans between 2023 and 2026. The First Action Plan addresses the needs of all Australian children and focuses on children and families who are experiencing disadvantage and/or are vulnerable. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan will focus on achieving safety and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. More >