Discrimination
Recent PhD research has initiated the first step in "developing a framework for student welfare policy and guidelines for teenage mothers in the education system".
Mr Iain Hay of the University of Canberra has undertaken a research project to understand the complexity of motherhood and teenage pregnancy, which he hopes will become a resource for schools dealing with teenage mothers. His research has found that young mothers are "very conscious about how society judges them", in some cases "shopping late at night so they are not seen by others pushing a pram".
Mr Hay argues that despite teenage pregnancy numbers remaining static since the 1970's, the negative consequences of teenage motherhood remain a hot topic for social commentators, the media and politicians. Findings from his research also highlight the importance of early sex education as a measure to help reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.
Sources:
Robinson, G. 2008, 'UC researcher finds pregnant teens feel self-conscious', Monitor online: News from the University of Canberra, 22 May, University of Canberra, viewed 14 August 2008, http://www.canberra.edu.au/monitor/articles/new/20080522_teenage
Discrimination
2001-2007 Racial intolerance, 2003Pornography and sexual harassment on the internet, 2004
Harassment of gay, lesbian and bisexual young people, 2003
Racial intolerance
Kids Help Line identifies racial harassment, discrimination and prejudice as forms of bullying.
- In 2003, the number of calls to Kids Help Line from CALD children in relation to bullying was 165. (Increase in these calls from previous year: 60%)
- Proportion of all calls from CALD children, which are about bullying: 1 in 7
- Proportion of all calls from Anglo-Australian children, which are about bullying: 1 in 10
- Proportion of children calling KHL that report frequent and continual harassment:
-
- 50% CALD,
- 36% Anglo-Australian
- Proportion of bullying calls that come from 15- to 18-year-olds:
-
- 15% CALD,
- 8% Anglo-Australian
Source: Kids Help Line newsletter, November 2004.
Back to topPornography and sexual harassment on the internet
As part of the Australian Broadcasting Authority's survey (2001) of Internet use in the home, a cyber-panel of Australian families was questioned regarding exposure to offensive material on the Net. A total of 192 of the cyber-panel members were teens aged 11 to 17 years and almost half (47%) of them reported having been exposed to offensive content such as violence, pornography and nudity. The overwhelming majority of offensive content cited by these teens was pornography.
In 2004 a national survey of American youth aged 10 to 17 years who were regular Internet users:
- 25% has been exposed to unwanted sexual pictures in the previous year.
- Of these the majority reported no negative effect of their exposure, but
- 25% reported distress at being exposed.
- More boys than girls reported exposure and older youths reported substantially more exposure than did younger children.
Source: 'Teens in cyberspace: Do they encounter friend or foe?' By Michele Fleming and Debra Rickwood, Youth Studies Australia, vol.23, no.3 (September 2004), pp.46-52.
Back to topHarassment of gay, lesbian and bisexual young people, 2003
Number of respondents who felt they had been 'unfairly treated or discriminated against, because of their sexuality': nearly one-third.
....who had been verbally abused: 46%
....who had been physically abused: 13%
Perpertrators of the abuse:
other students at school: 60%
family members: 10%
750 young people (14-21 years) were surveyed about their sexual feelings, experiences and practices for a national report by researchers at La Trobe University.