A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Rachael Sharman, University of the Sunshine Coast As any parent will tell you, a common feature of the school holidays is an increase in squabbling kids. Whether in the back of the car, at the park or by the TV, you will hear the whingey sounds of “Muuuum, Ollie just called me a stupid head!”. [...]
Kate Highfield, Australian Catholic University It is school holidays in Australia and, in many parts of the country, it’s also raining and bitterly cold. This means many children are stuck indoors and many parents will be grappling with how much “screen time” their kids are having. As as early childhood researcher and parent to a [...]
Anabela Malpique, Edith Cowan University; Deborah Pino Pasternak, University of Canberra; Debora Valcan, Murdoch University, and Susan Ledger, University of Newcastle Learning how to be a confident and communicative writer is one of the most important skills students learn at school. But NAPLAN results show a significant decline in Australian students’ writing performance. Research for [...]
Tiffani Apps, Karley Beckman and Sarah K. Howard, University of Wollongong Schools’ use of educational technologies (edtech) grew exponentially at the height of COVID lockdowns. A recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report has exposed children’s rights violations by providers of edtech endorsed by governments in Australia and overseas. The lockdowns have ended but edtech remains embedded [...]
P. Daniel Lin and Valsamma Eapen, UNSW Sydney Children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, experience various types of challenges at school. This might be due to communication, and also relationships with other children. Accumulating evidence indicates autistic children are more likely to be bullied. We’ve just published a study which observed autism is the [...]
Ms Krystyna Gilowska, Professor Dianne Vella-Brodrick and Story Producer: Nerissa HanninkThe fast pace of modern urban living can be mentally and physically draining. Add the strains of a pandemic, and these challenges can multiply. Imagine being a school student and having to focus on learning and studying during this time. Being an attentive student can [...]
Christine Grové, Monash University and Alexandra Marinucci, Monash University Psychological distress is on the rise among young people in Australia. The implications of COVID-19 and the strain on the training and availability of psychologists are likely to add to the mental health challenges and hinder young people’s ability to get help. Social isolation, loneliness and [...]
PhD Candidate Diana Zhu, Senior Lecturer Zoe Davidson and Associate Professor Simone Gibson, Monash University Overweight and obesity is the second-largest contributor to Australia’s disease burden and health costs, including significantly driving Australia’s high-cost diseases (for example, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers). It’s estimated to cost the Australian economy $11.8 billion, and if obesity rates continue to [...]
Consistent school attendance is important in any child’s education but for many children in out-of-home care, going to school every day is no easy thing. There are three main types of out-of-home care in Australia: relative (or kinship) care, foster care, and residential care (small group homes). Children and young people who are unable to [...]
Benjamin Hanckel, Western Sydney University; Alan Morris, University of Technology Sydney, and Keiko Yasukawa, University of Technology Sydney Homelessness remains a huge problem in Australia and an important contributing factor is low literacy levels. We interviewed 23 people who were homeless or had experienced homelessness to find out how they viewed literacy and participation in [...]
