in the news

Calls for tighter underage drinking laws

Calls for tighter underage drinking laws have been made by drug body The Australian Drug Foundation, who believe the current laws allowing underage drinking on private property without parental consent are too lax. The foundation proposed that adults should only be allowed to provide alcohol to minors with their parent’s consent, the adults should only [...]

International experts condemn airbrushed advertisements

45 leading academics, doctors and psychologists from around the world have signed a research paper detailing how pictures of airbrushed (digitally enhanced) models in advertisements can cause serious harm to viewers. The report titled "The Impact of Media Images on Body Image and Behaviours: A Summary of the Scientific Evidence" summarises the research of the [...]

Webcast the youTHINK youth forum this Thursday

This Thursday you have the opportunity to be part of the web-cast audience for the youTHINK: Live and Online forum. Part of the National Conversation organised by the Australian Government, the forum will run from 1pm-3pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time and encourages the audience to provide live feedback to the conversation. The forum will focus [...]

Indirect television exposure increases aggression in 3-year-olds

An American study has linked television use to aggression in three-year-olds, even if the child wasn't watching the TV. The study which collected survey data from over 3,000 mothers found that indirect exposure, such as the TV use by other members of the household, increased aggression in the children and could have a detrimental impact [...]

New campaign combats cyberbullying

Earlier this week a new cyberbullying educational campaign titled Cyber Bullying Affects Real Lives was launched. The  interactive multimedia campaign aims to raise awareness of cyberbullying and the impact it can have. Featuring a two-minute YouTube video and an interactive online game called Web Warriors, the campaign hopes to engage with and educate children on [...]

The State of Australia's Young People Report

Late last week the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth released The State of Australia's Young People Report, examining youth aged from 15-24 years of age. The report was commissioned earlier this year by the Office for Youth to complete the State of Australia’s Young People report and will later be used [...]

Schoolies Week – Paul Dillon gives his advice

Over the years I have attended a number of Schoolies Week celebrations and although there have always been incidents, usually linked to excessive alcohol consumption, for the most part I have found the young people to be very well behaved and reasonably sensible. The most concerning aspect of the event is the social pressure on [...]

Jessica Watson's bid to sail solo around the world

This month's death of 2 experienced sailors highlights the dangers inherent in yachting and the sheer insanity and utter inadvisability of Jessica Watson's bid to sail solo around the world. Many experienced yachties have added their voice to a growing chorus of experts, which includes Queensland's Maritime Safety Bureau, saying that 16 years old is too [...]

Computer games linked to ADHD

An American study linked computer games to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when it found people who play computer games for around 40 hours a week are more likely to have difficulty paying attention than people who only play computer games for a couple of hours a week. The researchers who conducted the study conceded that [...]

Perth Generation Next Seminar next Saturday

Generation Next is coming to Perth! Featuring speakers such as Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Julie Gale, Paul Dillon and Susan McLean, the seminar will provide solutions to the challenges facing generations Y and Z. The seminar will cover a range of topics including cybersafety (including cyberbullying and sexting), the sexualisation of our children in the media, [...]

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