A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
A recent study considered the longitudinal effects of exposing children to violence and aggressive behaviour. It found that the more violence children are exposed to at a young age, the more they consider it to be normal behaviour and what’s more they are more likely to engage in aggressive behaviour towards others. The study said [...]
84% of Pro-ana sites feature thinspiration: images or video montages of slim women, often celebrities, who may be anything from naturally slim to emaciated with visibly-protruding bones.* People, especially young people, who suffer from any sort of eating disorder, are extremely vulnerable. They are not only physically weakened by malnutrition but they are also mentally [...]
Many people, including regular cannabis users, argue that there is no link between using cannabis and the onset of mental health issues later in life. However a longitudinal study spanning 10 years has now shown that new users of cannabis, especially young people, are more likely to develop psychotic symptoms than those who never used [...]
To young people in Australia, the online world is a place where the virtual and the real collide. For many teenagers, the internet and mobile phone are their social lifeline. Online technologies are so important to them that teens’ online and offline friendships may be lost if they are not able to text or post [...]
A recent study carried out by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, looked at the link between screen-based entertainment time and cardiovascular events later in life. It seems that sitting in front of a screen (TV, computer games, internet etc) and viewing screen based entertainment for long periods of time can [...]
Child beauty pageant company Universal Royalty Beauty Pageant is planning to hold a 'Child Beauty Pageant' in Melbourne, Australia, in July. Many psychologists and child development authorities agree that child beauty pageants are not in the best interest of healthy child development. A study conducted by Anna Wonderlich et.al (2005) in the Journal of Treatment [...]
The Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) recently sent out an open letter to all principals, urging alcohol NOT TO be included at school fund raisers. Dear Principal I am writing to you as Chairman of the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) to formally seek your assistance and co-operation in not permitting the use, [...]
Leading health organisations have criticised the alcohol industry’s DrinkWise organisation for involving young people in what appears to be largely a promotional exercise. It seems that although DrinkWise claims to be ‘independent', they are in fact heavily involved with the alcohol industry. DrinkWise is funded by the alcohol industry, and according to its website many [...]
Julie Gale, the founder of Kids Free 2B Kids, a website dedicated to letting children develop to their full potential; without exposure to sexualised imagery before they are developmentally ready to process it, recently spoke to the TODAY program on Channel 9 about the battle many parents face when trying to protect their children from [...]
75% of women link to drink before sex with their partners 25% of women ‘tipsy’ first time they slept with their partner 6% have never had sex when sober* Concerns about lack of self esteem and poor body image are driving many women to drink before they engage in sex with their partners. It is [...]
