LEISURE

UK research reveals why some young people opt out of 'positive activities'

A recent UK Government survey pinpoints the three main reasons why some young people refuse to take part in organised leisure activities. They may view them as only for the 'sporty and talented'; they may lack the self-esteem to take part; or they may give in to peer pressure and decide not to take part because their friends are not doing so.

Around 70 per cent of young people already take part in leisure activities but the UK Government would like to see this increase to 100 per cent. Dawn Primarolo, the UK’s Minister for Children and Young People, says the government needs to do more to help local councils pass on the message that taking part in leisure activities helps young people to 'build friendships and social skills', achieve better school results and cut down on risky behaviour.

The city of Leeds in northern England runs a successful program to get young people involved: around 100,000 of them across the city have Breeze cards that allow them access to discounts and free activities from dancing to movie making to football. For further information on the program, visit: http://www.breezeleeds.org/breezepromise (Source: The Edge, issue 26, 2009, p.1.)

MENTAL HEALTH

Auseinet to close at the end of October

The Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health, better known as Auseinet, is facing closure. Based at Flinders University, the service will close at the end of October 2009 due to 'unsustainable levels of funding' which make it no longer viable for Flinders to support the initiative. Negotiations are currently underway to find an alternative host for the Auseinet website (which includes the service's clearinghouse functions and email alert, 'Auseinetter') and for their online journal, Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, AeJAMH. If an alternative host is found for the website, Auseinet director Jennie Parham hopes the email alert will continue.

In a message posted on the Auseinet website, Ms Parnam writes that the closure of Auseinet 'represents the end of more than a decade of providing high-quality information, resources and products in the area of mental health promotion and illness prevention. However, we do hope that we can negotiate some new pathways so that the investment made over all these years is not lost. Thank you for supporting our work and being part of the network and we wish you well in all your future endeavours'. (Source: Auseinet website, viewed 15 October 2009, http://www.auseinet.com/wotsnew/index.php#atausei)

World-leading youth mental health facility opens in Sydney

A dedicated youth mental health facility was officially opened at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute on 28 September 2009. The $16m facility, which has been funded by the NSW Government and the University of Sydney, provides 15 clinical and research suites, group rooms and youth-appropriate facilities for those aged 12 to 25 years. It will support over 30 clinicians and allied research teams including GPs, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, and vocational and education support workers. The new facility will also house the collaborative work being undertaken between the BMRI and the Inspire Foundation.

The facility's location within the Brain and Mind Research Institute means that its clients will not only benefit from access to high quality clinical services but they will also have access to cutting-edge brain imaging facilities, neuropsychological assessment, chronobiology and sleep assessment facilities. Further information about the Brain and Mind Research Institute is available online at: http://www.bmri.org.au (Source: University of Sydney 2009, $16m youth mental health facility opens, media release, 28 September, viewed 28 September 2009, http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newscategoryid=1&newsstoryid=3907)

New mental health resource for young people

In August, headspace launched a new resource in which young Australians share their experiences of mental health issues and inspire others to seek help. Expressions: Pieces of myself is a magazine-style resource developed by the headspace National Youth Reference Group. It features more than 30 stories, poems and pieces of art that tell the true story of young Australians experiencing mental health, bullying, relationship and alcohol and other drug issues, and what it means to reach out for help. To order a copy of this resource (limit one copy per person), email: expressions[AT]headspace.org.au. For further information, visit the headspace website: http://www.headspace.org.au (Source: headspace website, viewed 15 October 2009)

Participants sought for innovative study into mental illness

Dr Melissa Green of the University of NSW's School of Psychiatry is embarking on a major study investigating whether schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are 'two faces of the same psychotic illness'. She is seeking to recruit 300 Australians diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder, schizophrenia or a third condition known as schizoaffective disorder. Those categorised as having a schizoaffective disorder include people who have a psychotic illness in combination with affective symptoms. These people are often 'stuck in the middle' of the diagnostic categories. The use of this third diagnostic category provides a substantial piece of evidence for links between the two conditions.

Dr Green's study will build on recent research conducted in Sweden and the US which provided evidence that shared genes were involved in the disorders. She said that her study could lead to the development of drug treatments for cognitive disturbances that may be personalised to a sufferer's genotype regardless of the diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder.

The study, which will also include a group of people without mental illness as a control group, seeks participants aged 18 to 60 from across Australia. Participants will need to be able to attend a day-long research session at the University of NSW in Sydney. Those interested in participating can call (02) 9382 8382. (Source: Dr Melissa Green, email, 13 October 2009, melissa.green[AT]unsw.edu.au)

MOVEMENTS, CHANGES, MILESTONES

Rewarding young entrepreneurs

The annual RMIT Business Plan Competition is open to all RMIT students worldwide and encourages teams to create innovative businesses and ideas through the development of competitive business plans. This year's first prize went to Ourevent.info, an online service that helps clubs and community groups organise events, manage volunteers and raise funds. The project also received an International Trade Award sponsored by the City of Melbourne. (Source: RMIT University 2009, Online events start-up wins major RMIT business prize, media release, 15 October, viewed 19 October 2009, http://rmit.com.au/browse;ID=kszg7pjr6mj2)

MULTICULTURAL ISSUES

New peak body to help multicultural youth

The National Multicultural Youth Advisory Network (NMYAN) is a new peak advisory body designed to provide a nationally coordinated approach to advocacy for multicultural youth issues. In June, the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, Laurie Ferguson, announced that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship would provide $285 000 for the two-year project. The network will be administered by the Centre for Multicultural Youth in Victoria. For further information on the Centre for Multicultural Youth, visit: http://www.cmy.net.au (Source: Ferguson, L. (Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services) 2009, New peak body to help multicultural youth, media release, 30 June, viewed 9 October 2009, http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/parlsec/media/media-releases/2009/lf09037.htm)

PUBLIC SPACE

Built4kids

The report Built4kids: A good practice guide to creating child-friendly built environments has been developed by the NSW Commission for Children and Young People to assist those involved in the planning of built environments for children and young people. It includes a set of child-friendly community indicators and can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/yh3uxjz (Source: email, Melinda Halloran, Yspace, Queensland University of Technology, 9 October 2009.)

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY

And you will be my witnesses: Young people and justice

This is the title of the 2009 Social Justice Sunday Statement issued in September by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. It builds on the big success of last year's World Youth Day held in Sydney, and aims to call young Catholics to action and to inspire them to fight for social justice. The statement highlights four areas in need of attention in Australia: Indigenous youth, youth employment, mental health and the prevention of abuse. The statement also points to the environment and justice throughout the world as issues needing attention. Young people are challenged to examine the difference that they could make to other people's lives. Read the statement in full at: http://www.acbc.catholic.org.au (Source: Justice Trends, n.134, September 2009, pp.1-2, published by the Secretariat of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council.)

RIGHTS

The Council for the Care of Children website

Need to know more about children and young people in South Australia? The Council for the Care of Children's website is a user-friendly resource for information on children and young people's rights and on some of the latest research and policy directions about children and young people. The site is a key component of the council's strategy to promote child- and youth-friendly environments. There are specific pages for children and young people, and the 'what's new' page focuses on local news and children and young people's achievements. The council comments on what's happening for children and young people in its annual reports, which can also be downloaded.

The council's framework, 'Look out for young South Australians', is also available on the site. This framework sets a baseline for the five domains of children's lives against which the circumstances of South Australian children can be measured: health and development, safety and protection, enjoyment of life and achievements, contribution to family and community life, and preparation for adulthood. For further information about the council's activities, visit the website: http://www.childrensa.sa.gov.au or email: ccc[AT]dfc.sa.gov.au (Source: email, viewed 12 October 2009.)

UNICEF releases latest edition of 'Progress for children' report

This edition of Progress for children: A report card on child protection is the eighth in a series that monitors progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report is a compendium of data that serves as a report card on global and national efforts to protect the rights of children. For the first time, the report gathers together data on a range of issues that impact on children, including sexual abuse and trafficking, child marriage, physical punishment of children, child labour, birth registration, the harmful traditional practice of female genital cutting, and attitudes toward violence against women inside marriage. For further information on the report, visit the UNICEF website: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_51312.html (Source: Australian Policy Online website, viewed 19 October 2009, http://www.apo.org.au/research/progress-children-report-card-child-protection)

SOCIAL ISSUES

Report on the 2009 Australian Social Policy conference

The eleventh Australian Social Policy conference was held at the University of New South Wales, 8-10 July 2009 on the theme, 'An inclusive society: Practicalities and possibilities'. The conference gathered together academics, researchers, policymakers and service providers to hear the presentation of over 140 papers. Its proceedings are summarised in the Department of Families, Housing, Communities and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) newsletter, FaHCSIA Research News, n.35, September 2009, online at: http://tinyurl.com/ygqfy3q (Source: FaHCSIA Research News, n.35, September 2009.)

VIOLENCE

Closing soon: Inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians

A reminder: there is still a little time left to make a submission to the Parliament of Australia: House Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth's, Inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians. The closing date for submissions is 23 October 2009. Full details at: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/fchy/youthviolence/tor.htm

WELFARE

Update on Youth Allowance changes

Following discussions with representatives from the Student Roundtable held in Canberra in August, the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, announced that students who have taken a gap year and must move to attend university will be entitled to claim independent status for Youth Allowance under the existing system until 30 June 2010. This means that students who left school in 2008, have taken a gap year this year and must leave home to attend university will be entitled to apply for independent status under the existing system.

This change will mean that students will not be caught up in the transition between the old and new Youth Allowance systems. To pay for the change, the alterations to the amount a student can earn before affecting their youth allowance will be deferred by 18 months. Students are currently able to earn $236 a fortnight before their Youth Allowance payment is affected. This will now rise to $400 a fortnight on 1 July 2012.

The Senate is currently holding an inquiry into the government's changes to the Youth Allowance system. The Inquiry into Rural and Regional Access to Secondary and Tertiary Education Opportunities is due to report its findings on 29 October 2009. For further information about the inquiry, visit: http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/rrat_ctte/rural_and_regional_education/index.htm (Source: Gillard, J. (Minister for Education) 2009, Changes to Youth Allowance to assist gap year students, media release, 26 August, viewed 29 September 2009, http://tinyurl.com/kkv9tu)

YOUTH RESEARCH

Recession worsens 'earning and learning' conditions for young Australians

The 2009 edition of the How young people are faring (HYPAF) report reveals a sharp rise in the rate of youth 'disengagement' from work and study. The 2009 report, commissioned by Foundation for Young Australians and prepared by the Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Lifelong Learning (CPELL) at the University of Melbourne, shows that the proportion of teenagers not learning or earning full time has jumped from 13.4% a year ago to 16.4%, the highest level since the recession of the early 1990s.

HYPAF is the pre-eminent national report on the learning and work situation of young Australians. This year's report focuses on the global economic downturn and the subsequent impact on young people's aspirations, employment opportunities and education pathways. The report draws on the latest data from a range of sources including annual Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) surveys of education and work, monthly ABS national labour force surveys, and the Census of Population and Housing. How young people are faring 2009 can be downloaded from the FYA website: http://www.fya.org.au/hypaf-2009/#more-2447 (Source: Foundation for Young Australians 2009, Recession worsens 'earning and learning' conditions for young Australians, media release, 8 October, viewed 19 October 2009, http://www.fya.org.au/media/media-links)

Youth in Focus data

Youth in Focus (YiF) is a unique data source detailing the experiences of young Australian adults. The project is jointly funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), Centrelink and the Australian Research Council (Linkage-Project LP0347164). It is carried out by the Australian National University. One of the main aims of the project is to increase understanding of the ways in which economic and social disadvantage may be transferred from one generation to the next.

There are two parts to YiF: the Second Transgenerational Data Set (TDS2), and the YiF survey. TDS2 contains the Centrelink administrative records of approximately 128,000 Australian children born between 1 October 1987 and 31 March 1988 and their parents. The first wave of the YiF survey was conducted in 2006. Approximately 4,000 youths and 4,000 parents were interviewed, including 2,430 matched pairs of youths and their parents. The second wave was conducted in 2008 for youths only. The data is in the final stage of cleaning and will be released later this year. For further information on YiF data, contact Paula Mance, Research and Analysis Branch, FaHCSIA, ph: (02) 6244 6607; email: paula.mance[AT]fahcsia.gov.au (Source: FaHCSIA Research News, issue 35, September 2009, viewed 20 October 2009, http://tinyurl.com/ygqfy3q)

YOUTH WORK

New youth work resource from ACYS: Concepts and methods of youth work

Concepts and methods of youth work is the first of three volumes in the Doing youth work in Australia series edited by Rob White and published for the youth work field by the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies. It contains a select range of contributions from the ACYS journal Youth Studies Australia chosen by Professor White for their relevance and practical significance to youth work in Australia today. Concepts and methods of youth work looks at the key issues of youth work as a career and as a profession. It not only delves into the practical skills and knowledge needed by individuals, but also highlights the ideological or philosophical universe within which workers operate. The book was launched by Dr Ani Wierenga at the YACVic conference held in Ballarat, Victoria, in mid-October.

Concepts and methods of youth work (cost: $69.95 (including GST) plus $7 postage, ISBN: 978 1 875236 61 9) can be ordered from ACYS, ph: (03) 6226 2591; fax: (03) 6226 2578; email publications[AT]acys.utas.edu.au. For further information, visit: http://www.acys.info/publications/books/doing_youthwork_series_1

RMIT’s new postgraduate youth work qualifications

As noted in last month’s YFX, RMIT University is offering new postgraduate qualifications (Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters in Youth Practice and Professional Leadership) for professionals working with young people from Semester 1, 2010. These qualifications are aimed at those working with young people who would like to build their knowledge and leadership skills in the area of youth practice and professional leadership, and is designed to provide the qualifications necessary to meet professional standards for practice and leadership in a dynamic and changing field. For application information, contact Alex Hughes at RMIT University, email: alexb.hughes[AT]rmit.edu.au. For further information, see the program outline: http://www.rmit.edu.au/handbook/mc178auscy

In defence of youth work

This is the title of an open letter written at the start of the UK summer to those involved in youth work. In it, prominent retired youth worker Tony Taylor calls for a reappraisal of the direction youth work is taking today. He voices concerns raised by leading writers and academics that youth work under the Blair and Brown governments has become 'an agency of behavioural modification'. He cites examples, such as the 'increasing incorporation of youth workers into the surveillance of young people perceived as a threat to social order' and the 'the suffocating grip of rules and regulations upon the work'. He and others contend that youth workers need to 'reaffirm our belief in an emancipatory and democratic youth work'. For more information on this initiative, email Tony Taylor: tonymtaylor[AT]gmail.com (Source: The Edge, issue 25, 2009, p.7.)

Funding 'dog’s breakfast' leads to waste

The UK's public spending watchdog, the Audit Commission, has found in its recent report Tired of hanging around what many suspected: that the huge amount of time, effort and expense that youth workers put into applying for funding and managing costs could be far better spent on actually working with young people. The commission found that up to one-third of a youth worker's time may be spent on red tape, which led Michael O'Higgins, Audit Commission chairman, to comment that: 'It's ludicrous that funding schemes for young people in trouble with the law should be so complicated. Major opportunities to save public money are going begging'. Details about the report and its recommendations are available at: http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk (Source: The Edge, issue 24, 2009, p.1.)