A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Adolescence is a time of change and it can be hard to tell the difference between "normal" teenage behaviour, and depression and anxiety. One in six young people in Australia has an anxiety disorder and around one in 16 has depression, so the chances are we all know someone who has been affected by these [...]
Shorter attention spans The need for Sensationalism Inability to empathise with others Poor sense of identity Young people who spend hours in the world of virtual relationships are at a greater risk of psychological damage according to leading UK neuroscientist, Lady Greenfield, professor of synaptic pharmacology at Lincoln College Oxford. She is urging the UK [...]
Alarm bells have gone off in the USA as the FBI sees a potential misuse for the new Barbie Video Girl doll. The doll has an inbuilt video camera hidden in the necklace worn around her neck, which allows video to be shot from ’Barbie’s perspective’. The doll, which sells for US$49.99 also comes with [...]
The message is loud and clear; the safest option for pregnant women is not to drink. This is the finding of leading Australian health experts, despite earlier research suggesting that moderate drinking may not cause harm to a foetus. The following organisations have joined together to make sure this message is heard by the greater community: The [...]
The Queensland Police force has put together some tips on what to look out for if you think your child or a young person you know has been approached by an online predator. You find pornography on your child’s computer. Child sex offenders sometimes use pornography as a way of opening sexual discussion. It may [...]
A study Time or Money: the impact of parental employment on time that four to five-year-olds spend in language-building activities, published in the Australian Journal of Labour Economics looks at how a father’s working hours impacts on family life and how this effects the time spent talking, reading and singing to children. The study noted [...]
An initiative by the Queensland Police called Who's chatting to your kids? gives parents, teachers and carers practical information on how to protect children online and what to look for if you think a child is being approached by a predator. The internet and advances in technology have been embraced by sex offenders who are [...]
AANA refers to the article “Boys forfeit their right to innocence as sexualisation takes hold”, published on 1st of November, and wishes to clarify the self-regulatory efforts in relation to the sexualisation of children in advertisements. The AANA Code for Advertising and Marketing Communication to Children exists to ensure that advertisers and marketers develop and [...]
Indigo is a positive, body friendly, age appropriate online magazine for girls. It is also available in print form through subscription. Not only is it full of fun stuff, but it actually makes girls feel great about who they are. The emphasis is on creating a positive, independent self-perception for girls in the pre-teen and [...]
“My stress levels were blown way out of proportion compared to what was actually happening in my life.” beyondblue youth ambassador Tom Rust, aged 21. Tom Rust’s family knew something was wrong, but they attributed the dramatic change in his behaviour to the pressures of his last year at school. And by his own admission, [...]
