A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Regardless of whether you teach in remote, rural, regional, or metropolitan schools, you can expect to come across a child in your classroom who has experienced trauma. Understanding the impact of trauma on learning capability may assist you to create trauma-sensitive learning environments. What is trauma? Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are stressful or traumatic events, [...]
Children as young as six are watching internet porn, with one group linking the behaviour to sexual assaults in schools. Centre Against Sexual Violence counsellor Kate McCormick said there appeared to be "a lot of sexual assault" occurring within the school environment. "This has been linked back to early exposure to pornography," she said. "From [...]
Over the centuries, various forms of interpersonal touch have become less common, influenced by changes in cultural values and new technology. Nowadays, with twenty four hour access to mobiles, texting and email, many people spend more time interacting with their technology than they do with each other. This lack of touch has many effects on [...]
To be emotionally healthy is to be in control of one’s emotions and behaviour. This helps to handle the challenges in life and to build strong relationships. Maintaining your emotional health requires the same, if not more, effort to maintain your physical health. Being emotionally healthy doesn’t mean never experiencing bad times or going through [...]
Following the tragic death of Robin Williams, Lifeline Australia saw a 25% increase in calls. When faced with someone in crisis, many people don’t know what to do, or how to help. Some are concerned about making things worse. This means many people don’t approach the person at all. The person in crisis may feel [...]
Eighty per cent of adult smokers start smoking before 18 years of age, at an average age of 15 years. (1) Young people assume that they will stop before they experience any serious health problems. However, nicotine dependence can develop very quickly and most regular teenage smokers are soon unable to quit, often before they [...]
Resilience is the ability to ‘bounce back’ from life’s difficulties. For many young people it is vital to help them develop resilience strategies that promote well-being and develop coping mechanisms. Many resilient teenagers are seen as resourceful and are emotionally and mentally balanced. Andrew Fuller is a clinical psychologist and chairperson of the Mental Health [...]
The recent Ipsos Social Research Institute Survey of 24 countries found that Australia was a leader in the world of cyberbullying. Not a title to be proud of. We even beat the US, UK and China. Those ahead of us were India, Indonesia, Sweden and Canada. Ispsos director Ryan Williams said “According to parents, Australian [...]
Writer Professor Louise Newman. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is concerned about the sexualisation of children in the contemporary media. Professor Louise Newman, of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, recently presented ‘Too hot to handle: The psychological impact of sexualisation in the media’ at the Australian Conference [...]
