No. 139, March 2008: Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies

'Youth Studies Australia' is the flagship publication of the publishers of this newsletter, the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies. From the media release for the March 2008 edition (v.27, n.1):

"A new year, a new government, an apology. We are excited that youth is back on the agenda, and the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies hopes to be closely involved in the strengthening of this nation's commitment to the future of its young people.

We feel it is timely that the original research in these six papers focuses on serious youth issues that are of concern not only to researchers, but also politicians, policy-makers, service providers and the general public."

Feature articles:

1. The bleedin' obvious: Long-term support reconnects at-risk young people
by Alistair Lemmon
Youth Studies Australia, v.27, n.1, pp.9-17.

We lead with hard-hitting research which suggests that governments need to work with non-government service providers to supply sustained, committed and non-judgmental support for young people leaving state care. Whitelion researcher Alistair Lemmon has found that the combined efforts of service providers within and outside 'the system' can work for young people who lack family support.

2. Youth homelessness 2006
by David MacKenzie and Chris Chamberlain
Youth Studies Australia, v.27, n.1, pp.17-25.

While this paper reveals that there has been a decrease in youth homelessness, largely as a result of the implementation of programs that have reconnected families, David MacKenzie and Chris Chamberlain stress that rates of homelessness are still high among Indigenous youth, young people from single parent and blended families and, not surprisingly, teenagers who have been in state care and protection.

3. Financial management and young Australian workers
by Nicki Dowling, Lauren Hoiles, Tim Corney and David Clark
Youth Studies Australia, v.27, n.1, pp.26-35.

In times of increasing inequity between the financially secure and the financially insecure in Australian society, this research indicates that we need to find ways of improving young workers' financial literacy and management skills as many are in serious financial difficulty.

4. Hanging in there: What makes a difference in the first year of an apprenticeship
by Angela Hill and Leanne Dalley-Trim
Youth Studies Australia, v.27, n.1, pp.36-42.

Given the widespread concern in Australia about our skill shortages, it is very pertinent to ask why young people quit apprenticeships within the first year. Interestingly, this research suggests that leaving school early and lack of family support may be factors that affect apprentices' ability to stay the distance.

5. The PATS peer support program: Prevention/early intervention for adolescents who have a parent with a mental illness
by John Hargreaves, Lyndal Bond, Matt O'Brien, Danielle Forer and Liz Davies
Youth Studies Australia, v.27, n.1, pp.43-51.

Young people who care for a parent with a mental illness are more likely than other young people to develop a mental illness themselves. This paper describes a program, which provides a model for successful prevention/early intervention for these young carers, involving expert information, youth participation and peer support.

6. Playing for the future: The role of sport and recreation in supporting refugee young people to 'settle well' in Australia
by Louise Olliff
Youth Studies Australia, v.27, n.1, pp.52-60.

While the benefits of sport in helping refugee young people to 'settle well' are considerable, and include information sharing, participation and building trust, this research stresses that other resettlement needs, such as accommodation, education, training and family support, must not be neglected.

Subscription costs for 'Youth Studies Australia':

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Elsewhere: contact ACYS for price of subscriptions.

Subscribe:
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APRIL 5-13: NATIONAL YOUTH WEEK

The official site for National Youth Week (NYW) 2008 is: http://www.youthweek.com/ where there are details of state and territory activities, competitions and FAQs. Contact details: National Youth Week Team, Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, ph: 1300 663 500, email: nationalyouthweek[AT]deewr.gov.au

CALL FOR PAPERS

UNYA's 'Perspective'

'Perspective' is the United Nations Youth Association of Australia journal of youth writings on international affairs and domestic policy. With a multidisciplinary focus, all its authors and editors are 25 years or younger. The journal aims to provide an outlet for the views of young people, with unique perspectives and a fresh approach to a range of issues. The deadline for submissions for the January - June winter 2008 edition is 15 May 2008. The summer edition is online at: http://www.unya.asn.au/expression/perspective/editions.asp The guide for contributors is at: http://www.unya.asn.au/expression/perspective/submissions.asp and the editor's email address is: perspective[AT]unya.asn.au (Source: email, Alex Douglas, March 2008.)

CAREERS

'What choice? An evaluation of career development services for young people'

This study, by Linda Rainey, Michele Simons, Val Pudney and Elvie Hughes of the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, evaluates a selection of career development services available for young people. It examines the characteristics of the services provided, with a focus on career decision-making and the provision of information about vocational education and training (VET) options. The education providers and young people surveyed were generally satisfied with the services provided. However, it was agreed that information about VET options could be improved, and that a better understanding of the ways in which young people seek help would enhance accessibility to services. See the NCVER website at: http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1943.html

CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP

Civic engagement and young people: A report commissioned by the City of Melbourne

An extensive literature has emerged over the past 15 years on youth participation, civic engagement and citizenship. This report, published by the Australian Youth Research Centre (Faculty of Education, the University of Melbourne) summarises major trends in recent national and international literature on the topic, explores practices in several Victorian local government areas, and underlines the importance of understanding civic engagement terminology and the reasons why institutions (including governments) support initiatives in these areas. The report concludes that there is no single way to address issues of youth participation and youth civic engagement, since complex reasons for the disengagement of young people exist, requiring complex and multi-faceted initiatives and structures to address them. For the report's price and availablility, contact the Australian Youth Research Centre at the University of Melbourne, ph: (03) 8344 9633; fax: (03) 8344 9632 (Source: 'Connect', n.168, December 2007, p.22.)

CRIME AND JUSTICE

A new alert about justice programs

The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW has a new e-newsletter, 'Justice Access Programs Alert' or JAPA. The bimonthly e-newsletter will cover recent programs and initiatives designed to increase access to justice for economically and socially disadvantaged people in NSW, but significant interstate and overseas programs will also be included. To view the first issue and subscribe to JAPA go to: http://www.lawfoundation.net.au/access/japa. (Source: JARA, a free alert service from the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, February 2008; http://tinyurl.com/36zx8c

Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research monitors trends in a new way

BOCSAR has developed a new technique for monitoring trends in juvenile and adult re-offending. Read about it in their March 2008 report, 'Monitoring trends in re-offending among adult and juvenile offenders given non-custodial sanctions'. The media release and full text of the report are available on BOCSAR's website at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au

Fact sheets for youth workers

CHD Partners in Sydney have developed a suite of fact sheets about young people and crime, on topics such as contact with the criminal justice system and the role of the youth sector in crime prevention. They also have a suite of fact sheets on young people and shopping centres, for example, 'Developing a shopping centre youth plan'. More at: http://tinyurl.com/yomocs

CARE AND PROTECTION

Jersey: British MPs call for an independent inquiry into the abuse of children in care

The Howard League for Penal Reform is sending a review team to Jersey to follow up concerns about the treatment of children at the Greenfields secure centre. The UK's Care Leavers' Association had demanded that the government investigate past cases of abuse on the island, and, following allegations of a cover-up, a motion in parliament called for the Lord Chancellor to ensure that judges and prosecutors appointed to deal with the Jersey discoveries have no connection with the island. More at: http://tinyurl.com/2vubdo (Source: 'Children and Young People Now', 28 February 2008.)

DRUGS

Nominations for the 2008 National Drug and Alcohol Awards close on 11 April 2008. The awards will be presented at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne on 27 June 2008. Details at: http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au

'Creating synergy between mental health and drug and alcohol sectors: Can we really work together?'

This is the title of an interactive seminar and forum that the DrugInfo Clearinghouse held in Melbourne late last year. The event included a welcome and introductory address by Dr Jane Mallick, director of the Australian Drug Foundation's Centre for Youth Drug Studies, followed by a panel discussion on comorbidity from a mental health sector perspective (presented by Dr Dan Lubman from ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne), a drug and alcohol perspective presented by David Murray, executive director of the Youth Substance Abuse Service (YSAS) and a consumer perspective represented by Victoria, a spokesperson from the ORYGEN Youth Health Platform Team. Download notes and audio files from the DrugInfo Clearinghouse website: http://tinyurl.com/2fprse

Pubs and clubs

Recently, the Australian Drug Foundation's Centre for Youth Drug Studies released a report titled 'Pubs and clubs: Addressing alcohol-related harms within licensed venues', by Jane Mallick and Kimberley Banfield. The report looked at the extent of alcohol-related harm within inner-Melbourne licensed venues and investigated strategies to reduce those harms. For details, visit the DrugInfo Clearinghouse website at: http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au

National Youth Tobacco Free Day: 19 March

For details on this initiative, and its associated competitions, see http://www.oxygen.org.au/ By way of support, the organisation, Marie Stopes International has urged all teenage girls to 'protect their reproductive health and give cigarettes the flick'. A large number of resources to reduce smoking are online on the OxyGen website at: http://www.oxygen.org.au/

Supporting the families of young people with problematic drug use: Investigating support options

This new report (by Sally Frye, Sharon Dawe, Paul Harnett, Sascha Kowalenko and Moana Harlen) was published by the Australian National Council on Drugs in January 2008 and has been mentioned in many news services. The ANCD found that many treatment providers in Australia do not have the resources to give family members who have a young person with alcohol or drug issues any direct services, and that this lack of information or support frequently results in family members being isolated and confused about how to help their loved one. See the ANCD website: http://www.ancd.org.au/ where you'll find the 131-page PDF document (or navigate via these links, http://tinyurl.com/ysc94h or http://www.ancd.org.au/publications/research_papers.htm).

EDUCATION

Conventient technology for an international collaboration between schools

The February 2008 edition of 'Education Review' describes a collaborative education project between an Australian school and an American school using an Australian electronic learning platform called Studywiz to facilitate communication between students and teachers. The project involved students from Canberra Grammar School and Long Island School in New York viewing Al Gore's film, 'An inconvenient truth' and filming their own dramatic responses. The Studywiz online learning space helped participants to collaborate, communicate and share resources using interactive tools such as discussion, chat and video blogs in a safe and secure environment without the need for real time communication, overcoming the difficulties of the time difference between Canberra and Long Island. Canberra Grammar School is now engaged in a similar collaborative project with a Swedish school. (Source: 'Education Review', v.18, n.1, 2008, p.17; http://www.educationreview.com.au/).

'Dare to Lead' Excellence in Leadership in Indigenous Education Awards

'Dare to Lead' is a collegial project driven by the education profession. It is designed to achieve data-evidenced improvements in the key indicators of Year 5 literacy and Year 12 completion for Indigenous students, and foster reconciliation in all schools. It is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and managed by the Australian Principals Associations Professional Development Council. The five exemplary schools and programs which have won the 2008 awards come from Adelaide, Perth and outback New South Wales (Aranmore Catholic College, a Year 8-12 Catholic secondary school in Perth, Menindee Central School, a government school in a remote NSW town, Midland Indigenous Youth Program in Perth's Swan district, Wiltja, an Aboriginal education program based at Woodville High School in Adelaide, and Yule Brook College, a government middle school in an outer suburb of Perth. This is the fourth year the awards have been given to acknowledge schools and school leaders who are working in a focused and strategic way to achieve excellence in improving Indigenous student outcomes, with outstanding leadership, engagement with the local Indigenous community, and demonstrated improvements in targeted outcomes for their Indigenous students. For details, see: http://www.daretolead.edu.au

'Half of Australian youth aged 18-20 are not in training'

In this report, the Centre for Population and Urban Research at Monash University uses Census data to reveal that a substantial proportion of Australia's 18- to 20-year-olds are not participating in any form of education and that their labour force participation is also remarkably low. The report, by Bob Birrell and Daniel Edwards, was published in 'University World News' on 12 November 2007. See: http://www.universityworldnews.com and http://tinyurl.com/34fyny (Source: 'YAPRap', v.18, n.1, January 2008.)

Financial literacy workshops

Free financial workshops for Australian secondary students are again being offered in 2008. The national StartSmart Workshops are supported by the Commonwealth Bank Foundation and offer practical programs to improve young Australians' financial literacy skills. The StartSmart workshops do this through engaging scenarios and real-life case studies for students. In 2007, more than 30,000 students participated in the program. For further details, contact Heather MacDonald, Project Manager for StartSmart, ph: (07) 4034 3979, web: http://www.educationpartnerships.com.au

The cost of university

Parents and students can now determine the estimated costs of university education, based on their career choices through the Australian Scholarships Groups' online university costs calculator. See: http://www.asg.com.au (Source: ASG, email, 18 March 2008.)

Higher education review

On 13 March 2008, the federal government announced a major review of Australia's higher education system. Emeritus Prof. Denise Bradley will chair the higher education review expert panel. Details at:
http://tinyurl.com/27rj7h

More support for apprentices

Australian apprentices and their employers will be able to access additional assistance worth thousands of dollars under an extension of the Commonwealth Trade Learning Scholarships through the Employer Incentives program and the Living Away from Home Allowance. The new measures began on 1 January 2008. See: http://tinyurl.com/3ckvb2

EMPLOYMENT

Youth unemployment is featured in the Parliament of Australia's monthly statistical bulletin, at: http://tinyurl.com/ysmcks

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

National Indigenous Health Equality Summit

As 'Youth Field Xpress' goes to press, more than 100 representatives from peak Indigenous and mainstream health bodies, non-government organisations and the reconciliation movement will partner with the Australian Government in convening a National Indigenous Health Equality Summit from 18-20 March in Canberra. The summit will be led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma. According to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities website, the summit has been "developed by the 'Close the Gap' campaign, launched last April, which involves more than 40 organisations pushing for government commitments to fixing the tragedy of Indigenous health". The Summit is funded by these organisations and by the Australian Government. (Source: HREOC media release, http://tinyurl.com/2llg7c ; AUSEINET noticeboard, http://tinyurl.com/ep593, viewed 16 March 2008.)

Return to Work Knowledge Base

Young Victorian workers aged between 15 and 25 are said to have the highest rates of work-related injury and of hospitalisation of all age groups. To address this, the Return to Work Knowledge Base, developed by the Foundation for Research into Injury and Illness in the Workplace Inc., was launched as an online resource for youth this month. Funding for the project came from WorkSafe Victoria's Return To Work Fund. See: http://www.rtwknowledge.org/

World Hepatitis Awareness Week 2008

Hepatitis C Victoria invites you to participate in this event, which takes place from 9 to 25 May 2008. As part of the awareness campaign, Hepatitis C Victoria has announced that four small grants of $1000 and in-kind support from Hepatitis C Victoria will be awarded to an agency or community group that designs a winning hepatitis health promotion activity and/or resource. The closing date for applications is Friday 11 April 2008. The successful grants will be allocated in line with Hepatitis C Victoria's priority areas:

young people and young people's groups;
Australian Indigenous communities;
prisoners and prisoner groups;
culturally diverse communities.

Applicants should contact Hepatitis C Victoria to discuss their proposals prior to submitting applications. Contact: Emily Lenton, ph: (03) 9380 4644; email: emilyl[AT]hepcvic.org.au; website: http://www.hepcvic.org.au/

HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS

'The Oasis': Documentary and report on youth homelessness to be launched at NYW

'The Oasis' is a documentary that covers the lives of six children who are homeless and will be screened on ABC television during National Youth Week on 10 April 2008. It is directed by documentary maker, fund manager and chairman of the Sydney Theatre Company, Ian Darling, along with codirector Sascha Ettinger-Epstein. Darling says 'The Oasis' is about "some of the most challenged and marginalised people in Australia. More than 30,000 children between 12 and 24 are homeless in Australia each day, many because of mental health, drug and alcohol problems or physical or sexual abuse". The Caledonia Foundation, which Darling chairs, has funded a 400-page report into youth homelessness, which will be launched on 8 April. The Caledonia Foundation had donated DVDs of Darling's 75-minute documentary, 'In the company of actors', along with a study guide, to 4,000 secondary schools in order to encourage students to become involved in the arts. (Source: 'Australian Financial Review', 29 February 2008, online edition, viewed 17 March 2008.)

More on youth homelessness

New research on homelessness, by Chris Chamberlain and David MacKenzie, appears in an article in the March 2008 issue of 'Youth Studies Australia' and the next edition of this newsletter will have further news of a report on the topic that is due for release any day. Incidentally, a good way to stay abreast of current news as it occurs is to subscribe to the AYIN email list. To subscribe, send an email to: join-ayin@edna.edu.au

INDIGENOUS YOUTH

National Aboriginal Islander Children Day: 4 August 2008

Each year, National Aboriginal and Islander Children's Day allows the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) an opportunity to raise awareness of the value and importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The theme for this year is 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families: Nurturing our children to flourish'. For details, contact Angelique Davis at SNAICC: ph: (03) 9489 8099; fax: (03) 9489 8044; email: admin[AT]snaicc.asn.au, or see: http://www.snaicc.asn.au/ (Source: 'SNAICC News', January 2008, p.8.)

The Brooklyn Project: Young Australians and the next hundred years

On 2-6 April 2008, the Brooklyn Project will bring 25 young people between the ages of 18 and 30 together for five days of discussions about the way Australia has conceived of itself as a nation, the way the constitution was written, and how to make our society more just. The event will be held in two stages, the first being two days in Sydney and the second being three days on the Hawkesbury River near Brooklyn, in NSW. The gathering will involve the participation of people representing those excluded from the drafting of the first Australian Constitution, and will be moderated by community leaders, including Patrick Dodson, Olga Havnen, Paul Lane, Marcia Langton, Lowitja O'Donoghue and Phil Glendenning. Contact: Liz Jacka, email: lizj[AT]erc.org.au See: http://www.brooklyn.org.au/

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

'What's changed for children and young people'

The UK's National Youth Agency has developed a tool, 'What's changed for children and young people'. It records young people's own views on what's better for them as a result of their participation, and is linked in with the five outcomes of the UK government's 'Every child matters' program (being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; and securing economic wellbeing). The resource coincides with the release of other participation resources developed by the NYA: 'Hear by right', which provides a framework for organisations to involve children and young people in decision-making, and 'Act by right', an accredited workbook to help young people to gain the skills needed to make change happen. (Source: NYA website, http://www.nya.org.uk/whatschanged)

Planning youth service delivery in the UK

The providers of services to young people in the UK are being asked what kind of support they need to help them to do their best for young people. This is part of the UK government's consultation on 'sector support arrangements' involving local authorities, local networks, national third and private sector bodies and organisations, such as the National Youth Agency. Some UK government ministers have said they see an "overlap" among these bodies and functions, and the UK government has already begun work on the creation of a National Centre for Excellence to provide a single clear lead to support local delivery across the public and private sectors and the third sector. This consultation with providers of youth services will inform that process, and involves all professionals, volunteers, agencies and organisations working with young people. The consultation will sound out opinions on the degree of overlap in support arrangements and seek feedback on how services could be improved. (Source: NYA newsletter, 'The edge', n.20, Winter 2008.)

MEDIA

Little Big Shots: Australia's major international film festival for children

This festival takes place at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image at Federation Square in Melbourne on 4-9 June 2008. Little Big Shots is "an inspiring, meaningful and fun-filled festival of the best in local and international children's features, shorts, animations, documentaries" and films produced by children. See: http://www.littlebigshots.com.au

MENTAL HEALTH

Lack of physical health care hurts people with mental illness

New research from SANE Australia has found that people with a mental illness are missing out on critical health checks despite experiencing higher rates of physical illness than the general population. These findings, published in the latest 'SANE Research Bulletin', titled, 'Physical health care and mental illness', were drawn from SANE Australia's survey of a convenience sample of 350 people who visited the SANE Helpline or the SANE Australia website in September/October 2007.
This survey found that 70 per cent of respondents saw their GP for both physical and mental health care, and almost all visited the same GP or surgery regularly. Yet, despite 90 per cent of respondents reporting a chronic physical condition, nearly half reported that their doctor had not discussed improving their health through exercise, an alarming figure given the high rates of diabetes and heart disease among people with a mental illness. Other concerns raised by this survey include a lack of discussion between respondents and their GPs about respondents' smoking status and their use of complementary medicines.
The bulletin, which includes SANE Australia's recommendations to improve the physical health of people with mental illness, can be downloaded from the SANE Australia website: http://tinyurl.com/2wfugg . (Source: SANE Australia 2008, 'Opportunity lost: Lack of physical health care is hurting people with mental illness', media release, 5 February, viewed 13 March 2008, http://tinyurl.com/yrxm7m)

MENTORING

Multifaith multicultural youth mentoring

This is a new initiative from the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) with the support of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, designed to foster connections between decision-makers in the Victorian community and young people from diverse cultural and faith backgrounds. The project consists of two programs that run concurrently, one at Victoria University in Footscray and the other at RMIT University in the centre of Melbourne. Each program involves 20 to 25 young people who meet with six mentors and the program facilitators. The program helps participants to connect with successful Victorian leaders from the government, corporate, community and faith sectors, and helps them to extend their professional and personal networks. Participants can also learn from mentors' experiences, and gain an increased understanding of the issues faced by young people from different cultural and faith backgrounds. For more information, contact Athalia Zwartz at CMYI, ph: (03) 9340 3700 (Source: Centre for Multicultural Youth,
http://www.cmy.net.au)

MOVEMENTS, CHANGES, MILESTONES

WA gets a Commissioner for Children and Young People

Former public advocate Michelle Scott has taken up the newly established role of the WA Commissioner for Children and Young People. Her appointment is for a five-year period. (Source: Youth Affairs Council of WA newsletter, 'Interface' (February) 2008.)

Change of focus for the Smith Family

Recognising that traditional efforts are failing to tackle the root causes of social disadvantage, one of the nation's biggest charities, the Smith Family, has quit welfare to focus on education. After 85 years as a welfare organisation, the Smith Family has ceased providing emergency relief and welfare services, or what it terms "passive assistance", and will instead support children's education from birth through school and into university or further training. (Source:
'The Australian', 12 December 2007; http://tinyurl.com/2vaknp)

FYA moves

The Foundation for Young Australians has moved its offices to 21-27 Somerset Place, Melbourne Victoria 3000. All its other contact details remain the same. More at: http://www.youngaustralians.org

PARTICIPATION

Resource for student leaders in public schools

'Creating connections: Student to student' is a resilience and wellbeing resource for student leaders to use with their peers. It is being trailed in selected NSW public schools, and results from a collaboration between members of the NSW Student Representative Council and MindMatters, along with the [NSW] Student Welfare Directorate. Its activities, adapted from the MindMatters booklets, 'Enhancing Resilience' n.1 and n.2, cover areas related to improving student wellbeing. The resource includes team-building activities, wellbeing activities, strategies to help improve school spirit and mental health at school and a list of internet sites that contain reliable information and health support networks. For further information, send an email to: student.leadership[AT]det.nsw.edu.au (Source: 'Connect', n.169, February 2008, p.17.)

ActNow

ActNow is a website that gives young people both the information on important social issues and the tools to start taking action to address them. ActNow is calling for applications for their next 'Incubator', a forum which brings together 15 young people aged 18 to 25 years from around Australia to share ideas, create content and move ActNow into the future. See: http://tinyurl.com/28pj9g

Social networks: UK research survey on social networking sites and youth work

In the UK, the National Youth Agency has commissioned research into how youth work practice should respond to the phenomenal growth of social networking websites, such as Facebook and MySpace. The first stage of that research was a survey, and its results should be available soon. Details on the NYA blog at: http://blogs.nya.org.uk/ywsn/

PREGNANCY

Education and labour market consequences of teenage childbearing

'Education and labour market consequences of teenage childbearing: Evidence using the timing of pregnancy outcomes and community fixed effects' by Jason M. Fletcher and Barbara L. Wolfe, is a new report from the Centre for Economic Policy Research. The controversy over whether or not giving birth as a teenager has negative economic consequences for the mother persists, despite substantial research on the topic. In this paper, the authors build on existing literature, especially on that which uses the experience of teenagers who had a miscarriage as the appropriate comparison group. This paper shows that miscarriages are not random events, but are more likely to be correlated with factors at the community level. By using information on the timing of miscarriages and the choice of birth control prior to pregnancies, the authors believe they have established a more relevant control group of teenage mothers than previous research was able to do, and conclude that teenaged childbearing is likely to have an impact on a young adult's future in several regards, e.g. it reduces a young adult's annual income by approximately $1,000 to $2,400; it might increase the likelihood of dependence on cash assistance, and reduces the chance of receiving a high school diploma by five to 10 percentage points. More at: http://cepr.anu.edu.au/pdf/DP573.pdf Note: Also see the 2006 Social Policy Research Centre's Discussion Paper n.148, 'The impact of young motherhood on education, employment and marriage', which found no evidence for an adverse impact of young childbirth on education, labour market, income or location. (SPRC Discussion Paper series, ISSN: 1447-8978, http://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/dp/DP148.pdf.)

RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY

'Trendy' beliefs don't make young people happy

Moving away from traditional religious beliefs to trendy, self-focused religions and spirituality is not making young adults happier, according to a new study by University of Queensland School of Population Health PhD graduate Dr Rosemary Aird. Dr Aird's study surveyed 3,705 21-year-olds who were born in Brisbane and have taken part in the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy since birth. These young adults were asked a range of questions relating to their religious and spiritual beliefs, involvement in church services and religious background. Results indicated that young adults with a belief in a spiritual or higher power other than God were at greater risk of poorer mental health and antisocial behaviour than those who rejected this belief. Meanwhile, young adults with traditional religious beliefs (belief in God) and those who attended church, were affiliated with a religion in their early years or whose mother believed in God appeared to enjoy no major benefits in regard to their mental health and social behaviour as they reached adulthood. Results also found that only eight percent of young adults attended church regularly (once a week), a factor that appeared to reduce the likelihood of antisocial behaviour in young adulthood among males, but not females. Dr Aird, who is an agnostic, said that most non-religious forms of spirituality were too individualistic and had "the potential to undermine a person's mental health and social relationships". (Source: University of Queensland, 'New religious beliefs focus too much on self', media release, 17 January 2008, viewed 13 March 2008, http://www.uq.edu.au/news/?article=13813)

RIGHTS

HREOC: New fact sheets on human rights

The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission released a series of fact sheets in February designed to help university students, senior high school students and their teachers to understand human rights. While human rights affect everyone, many people are "not sure of their meaning, and the implications of protecting them". Australian Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes said that HREOC's aim is to "make this complex topic easy to understand". Students can use the fact sheets as research tools and teachers can use them as resources. There are a total of eight fact sheets available on the HREOC website, at: http://tinyurl.com/3a8hjm. (Source: HREOC lists, 22 February 2008.)

RESEARCH

Longitudinal Study of Australian Children: 2007 papers

Presentations from the 2007 Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Research Conference are available on the Growing Up in Australia website (http://tinyurl.com/2fknjw) in PDF format. (Source: Australian Institute for Family Studies, email alert, 27 February 2008).

Child Indicators Research journal

The International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI) and Springer have launched a new peer-reviewed quarterly journal, 'Child Indicators Research', which focuses on measurements and indicators of children's wellbeing. The journal's first issue came out in March 2008. See: http://www.springer.com/12187

SUICIDE PREVENTION

Living is For Everyone: Prevention of suicide

The revised Living is For Everyone (LiFE) framework gives mental health professionals and the wider community updated information to enhance their work in understanding and preventing suicide and self harm in Australia. See: http://www.livingisforeveryone.com.au (Source: Youth Action and Policy Association of NSW newsletter, 'YAPRap', v.18, n.3, 2008, p.2.)

Families bereaved by suicide

The Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse has issued a paper on families bereaved by suicide: 'Family issues in suicide postvention' by Louise Flynn and Elly Robinson (AFRC Briefing n.8, 2008), which is published online by the Australian Institute of Family Studies. The paper explores the outcomes for these families, and outlines the strategies to support and counsel the suicide-bereaved. More at: http://tinyurl.com/3xosl3

YOUTH AFFAIRS

Towards a new voice for young Australians: Kate Ellis calls for submissions

The Rudd Government has called on young Australians to help shape the new forum that will allow them to participate in government policy development and decision-making. Two days ago, the Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis, invited young people to submit their ideas and thoughts on the development of the new Australian Youth Forum, which will deliver on a Labor Party election commitment to replace the National Youth Roundtable. In addition to canvassing feedback from members of the youth sector including stakeholder and advocacy groups, a series of public consultations will be held. The consultation period for ideas and submissions on the new Australian Youth Forum and current youth issues closes on 30 May 2008. A related discussion paper is available at: http://www.thesource.gov.au/

2020 Youth Summit

Nominations closed on Wednesday 5 March 2008 for the 2020 Youth Summit which aims to "harness the experience, ideas and enthusiasm of Australia's young people as the Australian Government is committed to young people being 'at the table' when the long-term challenges of our country are discussed". One hundred young people (15 to 24 years of age) from across the country will discuss the 10 critical areas on the agenda for the Australia 2020 Summit, as well as options for the establishment of an ongoing Australian Youth Forum. The summit will take place in Canberra on 12 and 13 April 2008 in the lead up to the Australia 2020 Summit. See: http://www.australia2020.gov.au/youth/
The ten critical areas of discussion are:

Future directions for the Australian economy - including education, skills, training, science and innovation as part of the nation's productivity agenda;
Economic infrastructure, the digital economy and the future of our cities;
Population, sustainability, climate change and water;
Future directions for rural industries and rural communities;
A long-term national health strategy - including the challenges of preventative health, workforce planning and the ageing population;
Strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion;
Options for the future of indigenous Australia;
Towards a creative Australia: the future of the arts, film and design;
The future of Australian governance: renewed democracy, a more open government (including the role of the media), the structure of the Federation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens; and
Australia's future security and prosperity in a rapidly changing region and world.

More at: http://www.australia2020.gov.au/youth/

Youth programs: Relocations within government

The Youth Bureau, which was moved from the old "DEETYA" portfolio to within the Department of Housing, Families, Communities and Indigenous Affairs by the Howard government, is being relocated to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) along with many functions and programs relevant to youth affairs as outlined below, but some are to stay within FaHCSIA. The government website, The Source, issues a newsletter, 'Youth Bulletin' and its February 2008 edition reports that the move to the new DEEWR will "allow opportunities for a broad range of education, employment, family and community initiatives for young people to be brought together in one portfolio".
Youth programs that have moved to DEEWR include:

Mentor Marketplace
YouthLinx
Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA)

Initiatives that have moved to DEEWR include:

National Youth Week (NYW)
National Youth Affairs Research Scheme (NYARS)
Youth consultation
Research and analysis

Programs that are staying within FaHCSIA include:

Reconnect and Newly Arrived Youth Support Service (NAYSS)
National Illicit Drugs Strategy (NIDS)
Strengthening Families program

(Source: "The source", thesource[AT]nationalmailing.com.au, 20 February 2008; 'Youth Bulletin' February 2008, http://www.thesource.gov.au/news/youth_bulletin.asp and the AYIN email discussion list, 22 February 2008.)

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

UK report on Positive Youth Development

Interest in Positive Youth Development (or PYD) in England and the United Kingdom has grown in recent years. The first systematic exploration of the key features of PYD for an audience in England has been published by the UK's National Youth Agency. The NYA's 'Children and Young People Now' online magazine reports that a youth development model has provided theoretical underpinning for a number of recent initiatives, such as the Department of Health's Young People's Development Project, and has influenced the UK's 10-year 'Aiming High' strategy for positive activities. However, there have been "limited reviews" of the international evidence of what actually constitutes "Positive Youth Development". Unlike deficit-oriented approaches, PYD focuses on the factors all young people need in order to lead a healthy life. These protective and resiliency factors involve "identifying and promoting developmental benchmarks, including social, emotional and moral competencies, a sense of identity and self-efficacy and opportunities for pro-social involvement". The NYA's report, 'Evidence of the impact of the 'youth development model' on outcomes for young people: A literature review' (http://tinyurl.com/228dyl) highlights six rigorously evaluated programs and their outcomes and assesses their effectiveness. The NYA research applies the PYD approach to current policy development in England and reflects on the difference that the youth development model would make if it were fully adopted. A blog debate on the strengths and weaknesses of the model can be found at: http://community.cypnow.co.uk

YOUTH POLICY AND YOUTH WORK TRAINING

Future-proofing youth workers in the UK

David Hunter, chief executive of Lifelong Learning UK, explains in a recent article in the National Youth Agency's magazine, 'The Edge' why well-trained youth workers are a vital part of the UK workforce. He begins by pointing out that a recent UNICEF report on child poverty and wellbeing ranked the UK last out of 21 well-off countries. In urging the UK to address this state of affairs and ensure that British youth "have access to the opportunities they deserve", Hunter says that it is youth workers who "play a vital part" in meeting the vision of recent youth policy, as outlined in the UK's 'Youth Matters: Next steps' and its 'Aiming High' initiatives (described at: http://tinyurl.com/39gx2h). Hunter bemoans the lack of understanding that exists outside the youth sector about youth work's "unique make-up" and the "crucial roles" that youth workers play. In the same issue of 'The Edge' (n.20, 2008, p.8), the NYA's chief executive officer writes about why youth work deserves a role in the mainstream. 'The Edge' is published four times a year by the National Youth Agency, http://www.nya.org.uk

'this is Y' youth service conference, Devonport, Tasmania

This is a one-day conference taking place on 3 April 2008. It is designed for those working on the frontline of youth service today. The conference aims to provide inspiration, a chance to relax, as well as professional learning and networking opportunities within the industry. Keynote speakers, breakout workshops and exhibits on a range of topics will provide the opportunity for attendees to explore new ideas and network, while generating greater community awareness of youth issues. The conference is designed for state and interstate professionals from the education, youth, community safety, family and health sectors, as well as local and state government. For more details contact the Devonport City Council Community Services Division, ph: (03) 6424 0511; email: council [AT] devonport.tas.gov.au; http://www.devonport.tas.gov.au

YOUTH RESEARCH

Youth in Focus

The March 2008 edition of 'FaHCSIA Research News' contains an update on Youth in Focus, an ARC Linkage Project being led by the Australian National University in partnership with the Department of Families, Housing, Communities and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), the University of Melbourne, Centrelink, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This project aims to "study the consequences of growing up in an income support dependent family and identify patterns of intergenerational transmission of disadvantage". Project data are being gathered through surveys of young people and their parents or carers, and from Transgenerational Data Sets (TDS) based on income support administrative records obtained from Centrelink. Survey data are then linked to the TDS (with participants' permission), allowing researchers to get "a more complete picture of the impact of income support dependency on outcomes for young people". The project "demonstrates the value of an open dialogue between researchers and policymakers", allowing the outcomes of the research to inform the development and delivery of successful interventions.
Wave 1 of the survey was completed in 2006. Preliminary results indicate that "children growing up in households with intensive histories of income support receipt have much poorer health, education and employment outcomes than other children". It is hoped that subsequent waves of data collection will help to determine the cause/causes of these poorer outcomes. Wave 2 of the survey will be undertaken in 2008, while Wave 3 is planned for 2010. Results will be published in a series of reports, initially through a Social Policy Research Services agreement between the Social Policy Evaluation Analysis and Research Centre and FaHCSIA. A feature on the Youth in Focus project was published in 'Youth Studies Australia' in September 2006 (v.25, n.3, p.64). (Source: Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 'FaHCSIA Research News', issue 30, March 2008, viewed 14 March 2008, http://tinyurl.com/ywr54a)

YOUR NEWS

This newsletter welcomes submissions to be considered for inclusion in this newsletter. Send them by the 10th of each month to the editor of this newsletter, Anne Hugo, email: anne.hugo@utas.edu.au
You can easily stay abreast of current youth research / youth work news as it occurs by subscribing to the AYIN email list, also moderated by Anne. To subscribe, send an email to: join-ayin@edna.edu.au