youth

Changing times for teenage body clocks

A recent study Impact of Delaying School Start Time on Adolescent Sleep, Mood, and Behaviour published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine looks at how the sleep patterns of young people change during adolescence and how these changes can affect their overall wellbeing. Timothy Olds, professor in the school of health sciences at the [...]

Children abused as safety net of family life crumbles

A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald by columnist Miranda Devine was a hard read; the very subject matter curdled the stomach and made the insides squirm in an effort to escape it. The subject matter was paedophiles and how easily they gain both the trust of parents and access to the innocent children [...]

More money and understanding needed to help suicide prevention

6 Australians take their lives by suicide every day 65,000 attempted suicides each year 1 suicide every 4 hours 1 attempted suicide every 8 minutes It is a tragic thing when someone takes their own life. To feel so desperate inside that they opted for total oblivion as the only way out is not how [...]

Kids trapped in a virtual world

• 10% of computer users are addicted to games • Computer game addictions lead to mental health issues More and more teenagers are immersing themselves in a virtual world. Leaving reality behind them they are becoming increasingly  addicted to computer games. This has led to some medical facilities offering full time treatment to young people who show signs [...]

Bonding with dad makes happier children

87% of young people happier when they have quality time with their dads Research in the UK has found that young people who have the opportunity to spend quality time with their fathers on “most days’ are happier and more well balanced compared to those who don’t. The Children’s Society released findings by the British [...]

Children’s brains are too tender for computers

Dr Aric Sigman, psychologist and author of Remotely Controlled: How Television is Damaging Our Lives and The Spoilt Generation is concerned that exposing children as young as 22 months to computers and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) actually impinges on their development rather than aids it because it is “subverting the development of children's cognitive [...]

Anonymous Cyber Bullying on the rise

The emergence of a new website based in America, but very popular with Australian teenagers, is causing great concern among Cyber safety experts. The site FormSpring.Me allows people to leave anonymous messages about other people. Since its inception last November it has gained a following of 12 million members worldwide. Users create accounts which can [...]

New laws to counter Cyber Bullying

Victorian Government to introduce new anti-bullying laws 600 intervention court orders this year against children New laws to focus on mediation 10% of Australian teenagers are victims of cyber-bullying The changes come at a time when more children are taking out intervention orders against other children in an attempt to deal with the growing number [...]

Teenager set alight, but parents still believe underage drinking is OK

50% of parents say 15 year olds should be allowed alcohol at home 20% of teenagers drink on a weekly basis 1 Australian teenager a week dies of alcohol abuse* The dilemma of whether or not to let underage teenagers drink at private parties is one that many parents have faced. The majority seem to [...]

Girls are turning to violence

Violence between girls up by 70% 154 cases of girls violence in schools last year School yard fights have always frequented the playground; however the increase in girl fights and the degree of violence between girls is now concerning many experts. The recent incident at Wadalba Community College on the Central Coast, NSW of a [...]

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