Entries Tagged 'Mental Health' ↓

The Australian Institute of Family Studies has published What works with adolescents? – Family connections and involvement in interventions. It outlines information and key areas of concern for the healthy development of adolescents as they grow into adulthood.

During adolescence young people have to handle many things at once, it is an incredible time of growth on all fronts; physically, mentally and emotionally. They are no longer children but they are not adults either.

At some stage they may rebel against the constraints of family life, yet it is their family they turn to for security, comfort and reassurance. The power of the family should not be under estimated by parents, carers, teachers and medical practitioners. It is the safe haven that young people can retreat to when the world and all the changes that go with it get too much.

Families and family life is different for everyone and it doesn’t matter how the family is defined. It can be a collection of different people who live under the same roof.

The important thing is that for adolescents that sense of belonging is very important, it is the place from where they can draw their strength and get support, the place where they are accepted for who they are. It is the place they gain their resilience to the ups and downs of life.

As young people go through adolescence they experience interdependence rather than independence, they forge new and deeper relationships with family, friends, colleagues, partners and others.

Topics and issues that are covered in this publication include:

What is Family?
The family offers a “secure base” – safe place to return, emotional, psychological support (caring, connectedness, belonging).

There are five key elements to a secure parent/adolescent relationship, and these elements help build resilience in a young person so they can withstand that knocks in adult life:

1. Availability – helping young people to trust
2. Sensitivity – helping young people manage feelings/behaviours
3. Acceptance – building the self-esteem of the young person
4. Co-operation – helping young people to feel effective; and
5. Family membership – helping young people belong.

Source: Schofield & Beek (2009)

Mental Health
25% of young people aged 16-24 years old have suffered from some kind of depression or anxiety. It is a state that lasts for more than a few weeks, their moods do not life and their performance at school or work suffers.

Young people are more at risk of mental health issues if the following factors exist in their family set up:

• Physical and sexual abuse
• Neglect
• Attachment problems
• Parental mental illness
• Family conflict and stress, and
• Family breakdown.

It is vital that parents be involved in the resolution of any family issues if there is to be a successful outcome in childhood interventions.

Key family protective factors
Young people need enduring connections, if the family is not providing this then it is important to establish who else if offering it. There are 4 key family protective factors that are vital to a young person’s healthy development:

• Caring
• Connectedness
• Belonging, and
• Support.

Involving family – what works?
Improving communication skills
Promotion of family-based problem solving
Addressing negative and critical interactions
Building family resilience and hope
Helping families manage depression and contain suicide risk
Source: Carr, 2009; Larner, 2009

Who makes the decisions?
As young people approach adulthood there needs to be a balance between parental rights and the rights of minors. The desire of the young person to make personal decisions needs to be taken into account while recognising that teenagers are still developing cognitive and emotional skills needed to resolve issues that arise as they get older.

Communicating with adolescents
Building trust is critical.
There is often a focus on a literal response – but behaviours and actions are “talking”.
It is important to engage a young person, so they know they are being listened to.
“Respectful authority” – negotiate where you can, but be clear about the bottom line.
Honesty and straightforwardness are important when talking to adolescents.
Try to avoid direct questions, rather make them open ended.

Family connections
Who ‘surrounds’ the young person, and what is the nature of the relationships?
Explore peer group, sporting, cultural and community connections.
What are they “good at”? Think broadly.
What are the communication/behaviour patterns in the family?

Engaging the family
Parents may be difficult to engage in the therapeutic process.
They may fail to recognise or feel threatened by suggestions of possible role in the problem.
Therapy dilemma – “fixing” young person.
A “therapeutic alliance” with both adolescents and parents will bring the best results.

Conclusion
Understanding adolescent development is important but it is equally important to recognise the vital contribution that parents and the family base provide.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: Australian Institute of Family Studies What works with adolescents?

The American Psychological Association (APA) recently formed a task force which produced a report on the sexualisation of girls through the media and other cultural messages.

The report also included information for parents, carers and teachers on how they can help young women become aware of the sexualised imagery and messages that are presented by the media.

According to the APA, sexualisation occurs when any of these factors are present:

• a person’s value comes only from their sexual appeal or behaviour, to the exclusion of other characteristics;
• a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness with being sexy;
• a person is sexually objectified – made into a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision making; and
• sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a (young) person.

The last point (the inappropriate imposition of sexuality) is especially relevant to children, when children are imbued with adult sexuality; it is often imposed upon them rather than chosen by them.

Sexualisation of girls
The report found that nearly every type of mass media had examples of the sexualisation of women, including television, music videos, music lyrics, movies, magazines, sports media, video games, the Internet and advertising.

Research found that generally women were more often portrayed in a sexual manner than men (e.g., dressed in revealing clothing, with bodily postures or facial expressions that imply sexual readiness) and objectified (e.g., used as a decorative object, or as body parts rather than a whole person).

The report also documented the sexualisation of girls in advertisements (e.g. the Skechers “naughty and nice” ad that featured Christina Aguilera dressed as a schoolgirl in pigtails, with her shirt unbuttoned, licking a lollipop), dolls (e.g. Bratz dolls dressed in sexualized clothing such as miniskirts, fishnet stockings, and feather boas), clothing (thongs sized for 7– to 10-year-olds, some printed with slogans such as “wink wink”), and television programs (e.g. a televised fashion show in which adult models in lingerie were presented as young girls).

It also found that many young girls were unintentionally sexualising themselves by thinking of themselves in objectified terms. Many girls modelled themselves on the celebrities portrayed by the media; wanting to look sexy and physically appealing, often by wearing inappropriate clothing.

Consequences of the sexualisation of girls
The report found that emotionally the sexualisation and objectification of young girls undermined their confidence in and comfort with their own body, leading to many negative emotions including shame, anxiety, and even self-disgust.

Research also linked sexualisation to the 3 most common mental health problems suffered by girls: eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.

It noted that for young men, the sexualisation of girls could make it difficult for some men to find an “acceptable” partner or to fully enjoy intimacy with a female partner (e.g., Schooler & Ward, 2006). This in turn could lead to increased rates of sexual harassment and sexual violence; and an increased demand for child pornography.

Positive alternatives to the sexualisation of girls
The report recommended the introduction of school-based media literacy training programs to combat the influence of sexualisation.  It also indicated that organized religious and other ethical instructions could offer girls important practical and psychological alternatives to the values conveyed by popular culture.

What can parents do?
The report encouraged parents to:

• teach girls to value themselves for who they are, rather than how they looked
• teach boys to value girls as friends, sisters, and girlfriends, rather than as sexual objects, and
• advocate for change with manufacturers and media producers.

How can parents help?:
Tune in - Watch TV and movies together. Get to know their world. Ask questions. “Why is there so much pressure on girls to look a certain way?” “What do you like most about the girls you want to spend time with?” “Do these qualities matter more than how they look?” Really listen to what your kids tell you.
Speak up – support campaigns, companies, and products that promote positive images of girls. Complain to manufacturers, advertisers, television and movie producers and retail stores when products sexualize girls.
Understand - young people often feel peer pressure. Help them make wise choices among the trendy alternatives. Remind girls that who they are and what they can accomplish is more important than how they look.
Encourage - highlight talents, skills and abilities over physical appearance. Encourage them to develop interests and get involved in a sport or other activity.
Educate - discuss media, peer and cultural influences on sexual behaviours and decisions, talk about how to make safe choices and what makes healthy relationships. Find out what their school teaches.
Be real - help them focus on what’s really important: what they think, feel, and value. Help them build strengths that will allow them to achieve their goals and develop into healthy adults.

Finally the report recommended that schools, parents and other caregivers, community-based youth and parenting organisations, and local business and service organisations encourage positive activities that help adolescents build nurturing connections with peers and enhance self-esteem based on their abilities and character rather than on their appearance.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: American Psychological Association

25% of African American girls reach puberty by 7 years old
15% of Hispanic American girls reach puberty by 7 years old
10% of white American girls reach puberty by 7 years old

A new American study published in the journal Pediatrics has found that girls are growing breasts and reaching puberty as early as 7 years old. The study was carried out by a research team at the Cincinnati children’s hospital, drawing on girls from East Harlem in New York, Cincinnati and San Francisco.

The team took 1,239 girls with Hispanic, African American and Caucasian backgrounds aged between 6 and 8 years old.
Experts are concerned about the effects that the early onset of puberty may have on the girls’ lives later on.

This effect on both their physical and emotional well-being is yet to be fully determined but research has shown that girls who physically develop at an early age are more likely to suffer from body image issues, low self esteem, an increased probability of eating disorders and depression.

Many of these girls are not emotionally or mentally ready to enter the world of ‘teenagers’ and they can find themselves out of their depths and engaging in sexual experiences at an earlier age.

Author and Generation Next speaker Maggie Hamilton said the implications of early puberty can have an enormous impact on young girls lives “life can be doubly hard for girls who physically mature early, because they sometimes look or act more mature than they are. Early-maturing girls are also more likely to interpret what they see in the media as approving of teens having sex.”

She added “As girls are physically maturing young and becoming more articulate, it’s easy for parents and teachers to forget that emotionally they’re still very young. The increasing influence of peers and popular culture on their behaviour and attitudes heightens their vulnerability. It’s a difficult balance for these teen wannabes, because while they don’t want to be seen as kids, they still have a lot of growing up to do”.

She concluded that “how girls approach puberty can have a huge impact on their ongoing self-esteem”.

Comparisons with studies conducted in 1997 show that the number of white girls who have developed breasts by the age of 7 years old has now doubled.

Similar results were also found in a European study conducted by the University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen Denmark in 2009. The report Recent Decline in Age at Breast Development: The Copenhagen Puberty Study, found that the onset of puberty (defined as the age at attainment of glandular breast tissue) occurred in many girls by the age of 9.86 years in 2006 as compared with 10.88 years of age in 1991.

Experts say that there are many factors contributing to the onset of early puberty in girls including food additives, pollution, underactive thyroid glands and chemicals known as endocrine disruptors that act on hormones to change bodily functions.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald. Journal “Pediatrics”

Online counselling is another way to get help for depression and anxiety.

There are many self-help internet-based programs available in Australia that are aimed at helping people better manage depression, anxiety and related illnesses.  To help people find these programs and services, beyondblue: the national depression initiative has put together a directory of e-mental Health Services and Therapies.

Deputy CEO of beyondblue: the national depression initiative, Dr Nicole Highet says online e-therapy may be an effective alternative for people with depression and anxiety who can’t or won’t access help from mental health professionals. 

“We know that more than half of all Australians with depression and anxiety don’t get the help they need for a range of reasons. There may be a lack of services in their area, they may not be able to afford the consultation fees or perhaps they’re embarrassed or ashamed to ask for help.  

“Online counselling gives people the opportunity to log onto a computer, in the privacy of their homes and work through various programs which will teach them how to identify and take control of negative and unhelpful thought patterns which underpin conditions like depression and anxiety. The beauty of these programs is that not only are many of them free, but people can choose to remain anonymous,” she said.

Dr Highet said online therapy for example, could help someone who has an anxiety disorder.  “It is common for someone with anxiety to view situations as being more dangerous than they are in reality. For example, a person afraid of flying will be obsessed with the possibility of the plane crashing, even though in reality they know this is highly unlikely. This would cause the person to feel extremely anxious and overwhelmed throughout the trip or the person may avoid plane travel altogether, which could impact negatively on work commitments or family life.”

Dr Highet said, similarly, people with depression view themselves and their situations negatively.

“People could consult a health professional to learn how to manage these thoughts and bring these feelings under control through talking therapies like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). But if you can’t or don’t want to talk about these problems with a health professional face-to-face, you can go to the e-mental Health Directory on the beyondblue website to link to a range of e-mental health services in Australia.  The directory lists 36 services and includes information on how to access these services and utilise the information and treatments.”

“These online therapies are showing great promise and are proving to be an effective alternative to face-to-face treatments for anxiety disorders and/or depression,” Dr Highet added.

 Get help at www.beyondblue.org.au/ementalhealthdirectory or ring the beyondblue info line on 1300 22 4636.

Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha

Soruce: Youthbeyondblue

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales has released its findings from a study that examined data from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This survey interviewed 9,000 Australians aged 16-85 years of age.  The report is ground breaking in that it provides the first ever lifetime estimates of alcohol problems in Australia.

It has found that 22% of Australians will experience problems of alcohol abuse and dependence during their lifetime but only 20% of these will seeks treatment; with young men being most at risk.

Two of the most worrying facts to come out of the report are:

• Young men are two and a half times as likely to have current alcohol use problems, with more than 11% of men aged 16 to 24 reporting symptoms consistent with an alcohol use disorder over the previous 12 months.
• 42% of Australians with alcohol problems have at least one co-existing mental illness, such as depression or an anxiety disorder.

Paul Dillon from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA), author of “Teenagers, Alcohol and Drugs” and Generation Next speaker said that for young people, especially young males “Getting drunk is often viewed as a ‘badge of honour’. The challenge is to get across the message that drinking for intoxication is not acceptable and is potentially life threatening.”

He added “Alcohol is the drug our kids are most likely to come into contact with during the teenage years and beyond, and without any doubt it is a drug they have problems with”.

Young men aged between 20 and 29 are almost twice as likely to drink at risky levels than those born 10 years earlier. “Alcohol problems are most common in young men, so we need better intervention and prevention strategies for young Australians” said Professor Teesson, lead author of the report.

“People need to know that alcohol abuse which is impacting on their personal, home and work life can be treated,” she added.

It is important to note that the study considers that alcohol abuse does not measure the quantity of alcohol consumed but rather relates to the impact of using alcohol including: failure to fulfil duties at home or work, using alcohol in dangerous situations such as driving, legal problems and fights with spouse over use of alcohol.

Professor Teesson said “People are much less likely to want to own up to having a problem with alcohol than they are about other physical or mental illnesses, yet their abuse of alcohol has serious consequences to them personally and around them including getting into fights, drink driving, taking time off work, child neglect, getting into trouble with the Police, and driving while drunk.”

The report showed that 42% of Australians with alcohol problems have at least one co-existing mental illness, such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Yet while close to 50% of all Australians suffering from depression are being treated; only 22% of people with alcohol related problems receive help.

Paul Haber, the director of the drug and alcohol service at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and a co-author of the paper said that the high rate of alcohol problems uncovered was a surprise, while the low levels of treatment were a disappointment.

The country’s “alcohol-consuming culture” was widely acknowledged as encouraging drinking problems, Professor Haber said.

Key findings from the report include:
22 % of Australians have alcohol disorders over their lifetime
18.3 % experience alcohol abuse and 3.9% are dependent
Only 22.4% of people with alcohol problems are treated
33% of men will have a problem at some point compared with 12% of women, and
Married people and people from a non-English speaking background are less likely to have a problem with alcohol.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre

25% of young people aged 16-24 experience mental health problems
75% of young people hospitalised in 2007-2008 was due to mental and behavioural disorders
30,706 young people were prescribed antidepressants in 2008*

The growing pressures associated with teenage years is increasing and taking its toll on the young people of today;  life is complicated and life style choices challenging.

There seems to be 4 main areas which affect adolescents; anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders, although they are not medically linked they often have similar symptoms.

The growth of mental health issues among the young has seen 30,000 families a year affected. It is clear that the stigma that goes with mental health needs to be dropped in favour of validating and helping teenagers with the issues they are now facing.

Adolescent psychologist, author of “Surviving Adolescents” and Generation Next speaker, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg says that the most important thing for a parent to remember is to keep the lines of communication open on all levels especially emotionally, “if children and adolescents feel loved within the family, that there is a place for them at home, they may still push boundaries but their risk-taking will be less hazardous. So rather than just monitoring their behaviour, keep tabs on their emotional life. Look for changes away from a familiar or predictable pattern of behaviour.”

Dr Carr-Gregg points out several warning signs to watch out for:
Frequent sadness, tearfulness, crying
Gloomy clothing, writing and music
Poor hygiene and grooming
Hopelessness
Decreased interest in doing ‘stuff’
Persistent boredom and or low energy
Social isolation
Guilt and low self-esteem
Increased irritability, anger or hostility
Disruptive behaviour at school
Alcohol and drug abuse

If the current movement continues then 20% of adolescents will have experienced depression by the age of 18, and yet many of them will not seek medical help for their condition.

The practice of helping  young people deal with their mental illness using medication grew in the 1990’s. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare publication Australia’s Health 2010, published by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing, this trend has continued to grow with 30,706 young people under 18 years of age being prescribed with antidepressants in the 12 months to June 2008. In the same period, 4,000 children under 10 years of age were also given mood-stabilising drugs, with a staggering 500 of them under the age of 5 years old.

Research has shown that antidepressant medication (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors – SSRI) can help stabilise children over the age of 12 years old. It is most effective when used in conjunction with other treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy as part of an overall mental health plan.

Many parents feel they have failed if their child resorts to medication, however Steve Hambleton,  Australian Medical Association vice president said “there is a whole lot of resistance from parents and the individual but it doesn’t mean you have failed or you should give up,”  he added “it can be a useful part of the clinical regime.”

Kids & Co.  set up by clinical psychologist Anna Cohen offers psychological assessments and a treatment service to adolescents and their families who are experiencing difficulties. Ms Cohen said “we really believe there is a place for medication for teenagers, but not for all teenagers. If we have a chemical change on our brain, the medication puts that back into a healthy balance.”

She added “the problem is, a lot of parents have heard lots of horror stories about kids on medication and there’s often a comment made to me that young people on antidepressants are more likely to suicide – but that is not the case. There is a huge stigma attached to it. It’s terrifying to acknowledge that your young person is depressed.”

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Sunday Telegraph

* Australian Institute of Health and Welfare publication Australia’s Health 2010, Australian Department of Health and Ageing

headspace is supporting this series of national seminars relating to the health and wellbeing of young people.

The next Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People 2010 Seminar will be held in Sydney on Friday September 10, 2010

WHAT: Topics this year include major and current issues

• Cyber-bullying
• Drugs and Alcohol
• Body Image & Eating Disorders
• Teen Depression
• Resilience
• Sexualisation, Consumerism, the Media and Mental health

Feedback from our previous event:
• ”It was very insightful. I got such a lot out of hearing from the wonderful line up of speakers you organised for us. I congratulate you on putting such a powerful line-up and message together.”
• “Thank you again for organising such a great event- it was a wonderful success and hopefully the start of many more in the future!”
• “Congratulations and thank you on a well informed and planned conference. My colleague and I loved it. I know next year I would like to send my middle years staff.”
• “The day was a very valuable one and I know that there will be more teachers from our school attending the next one.”
• “The conference speakers were engaging and stimulating and to be honest I have thought of little else since…! It was extremely uplifting to listen to people who love what they do, who are passionate about young people, passionate about their area of expertise and who are generous enough to share their knowledge, insights and understanding to improve the lives of others. Congratulations to everyone involved, I for one have been moved into action and inspired to act!”
• “Thanks once again for such a wonderful conference. I got so much out of it. I plan to use much of the info I gained on the day on a whole school basis. It’s great to have practical info that can be adapted to a school setting.”
• “It was a terrific seminar and every speaker was dynamic and to the point, well worth having a second one. I will share the details with colleagues.”
• “It was wonderful to learn in such a funny and stimulating way. The power of humour…! I will tell all colleagues about what a great professional event it was and how they can possibly get to the next one.”
• “Thank you for your vision, passion and dedication for the wellbeing of young people.”
•  “It was a terrific seminar and every speaker was dynamic and to the point, well worth having a second one. I will share the details with colleagues.”
• “Again thank you for a wondrous seminar.”
• “I will promote the next conference for you, as last week was fantastic!”
• “Thanks for putting on a great conference.”
•  “Thank you so much for your part in organising the wonderful event…..It was inspiring to hear such a collection of speakers on the one program, all most informative and entertaining. I …. shall be passing on the information to others.”
•  “The event WAS wonderful and I am happy to see that you are hosting another so soon.”

 
95% of the delegates felt that the seminar was definitely worth attending

Australia’s leading experts in one event:
• Michael Carr-Gregg, Adolescent Psychologist and Beyondblue Ambassador
• Dr Sloane Madden, Expert in Body Image and Eating Disorders, The Children’s Hospital, Westmead
• Paul Dillon, Drug and Alcohol Research and Training
• Susan McLean, Cyber safety Expert
• Lyn Worsely, Psychologist, Developer of The Resilience Doughnut
• Evelyn Field, Psychologist, Author of Bully blocking, National Centre Against Bullying
• Dr Ramesh Manocha, GP, Mental Health Researcher, University of Sydney

For Education, Health and Welfare Professionals:

“The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Young People 2010″.
Date: Friday, September 10, 2010
Venue: Mathews Lecture Theatre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, Sydney
Time: 9am-5pm

To look at the full programme, download the brochure or register go to Generation Next

Or phone 1300 797 794

Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha

In Australia, anxiety disorders are common. One in 25 teenagers (13-17 years old) experiences anxiety disorders in any given year.

Anxiety is not the same as depression, although the two conditions share many causes and some symptoms often occur together. There are six main types of anxiety disorders, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Many people feel anxious sometimes and these anxious thoughts can often influence the things we do. For example, the thought “I think I left the iron on” can lead to us returning home to make sure that it’s turned off.

Usually, these thoughts happen only occasionally and can be helpful reminders. However, if these thoughts happen regularly, again and again, it can cause difficulties.

People who have OCD often feel like they have to carry out certain behaviours (e.g. cleaning things that are already clean) over and over in order to feel OK and reduce their anxious feelings.

These behaviours usually provide only temporary relief. But if people with OCD don’t carry out these behaviour patterns or rituals, they often think that bad things will happen to them.

While OCD is relatively rare in young people, it can be serious and requires treatment by a health professional.

What are the signs and symptoms of OCD?

People may have OCD if they have a lot of unwanted intrusive thoughts or strong urges to do certain things. Some examples of signs of OCD include:

• obsessive hand washing because the person is scared of germs

  counting things for no apparent reason, and

constantly checking that doors are locked etc.

Getting Help

A General Practitioner or counsellor can help. OCD is treatable and talking to someone about it is the first step towards getting better. Treatment will help a person with OCD to control the strong compulsive feelings that lead to the repetitive behaviour.

Your doctor may offer you some information to read or put you in touch with someone who specialises in the treatment of anxiety disorders or refer you to a psychologist covered by Medicare.

Where can I get more information?

youthbeyondblue  or  1300 22 4636
headspace  
Kids Help Line  or 1800 55 1800
ReachOut.com  
Anxiety Network Australia

Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha
Source: Youthbeyondblue

25% of students are bullied at school
95% of students are bulled more than once

A new study just released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that there is compelling evidence that young people who indulge in bullying at school go on to participate in further anti-social behaviour as they get older. This includes taking drugs, criminal acts and violent tendencies.

“Those who bullied in adolescence were three to four times more likely to be involved in anti-social behaviour and physical violence by their early 20s,” Dr. Lodge said.

“It seems that once they’re on this trajectory or pathway, it’s something that stays with them into adulthood.”

On the other hand, young people who have been victims of bullying are more likely to suffer from depression, higher absenteeism, lower academic achievement, physical and somatic symptoms, anxiety and depression, social dysfunction, and alcohol abuse in later life.

“What we found with the victims is that once they were established in this role, abuse was likely to continue,” Dr. Jodie Lodge said.

“They also experienced a number of social adjustment problems during adolescence and by their early 20s, were more likely to have higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress.”

Adolescent psychologist and Generation Next speaker, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said “we know bullying has been linked with self-harm and attempts at suicide so it’s a very, very serious issue and we need to address it.”

In Australia, there is currently no agreed definition for bullying; however, the most commonly cited definition is the ‘repeated oppression, psychological or physical harm, of a less powerful person by a more powerful person or group of persons’ (DEST 2006).

Bullying often occurs because of differences between the bullies and the victims, such as culture, ethnicity, age, ability or disability, religion, body size and physical appearance, personality, sexual orientation, and economic status (Rigby 2009).

The researchers found that bullying differs between males and females; both engaged in verbal abuse and insults with boys taking it to a physical level by becoming physically violent while girls tended to operate on a more indirect/covert psychological and emotional level, through social isolation and smear campaigns (texting, SMS and cyber bullying).
 
Dr. Lodge, who presented the findings at a conference recently, said the study followed 1,000 young people at 3 points in their lives; when they were 12 years old, again at 13 years of age and finally once more when they had entered adult life at the age of 23 years old.

She concluded that bullies tended to perform poorly academically and were more likely to drop-out of school, while both bullies and victims suffered academic and social problems and generally had fewer friends.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.
Source: Australian Institute of Family Studies

Net Savvy profiles different websites and people that provide resources and information for parents, carers and teaching professionals on a range of issues which affect our youth today.

Inyahead is a website which features the work of Andrew Fuller.

Andrew recently spoke at the Generation Next Seminar in Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Learning and Educational Development at the University of Melbourne.

He has also been a principal consultant to the national drug prevention strategy REDI, the ABC on children’s television shows, is an Ambassador for Mind Matters and is a member of the National Coalition Against Bullying.

The website contains information for parents and teachers on a range of issues including:

• Handy Hints for Improving Learning
• Hearts and Minds – how parents and teachers can most effectively guide the education of teenagers
• Valuing Boys, Valuing Girls
• Helicopter Parents
• The Adolescent Brain, and
• Don’t Waste Your Breath – An Introduction to the Mysterious World of the Adolescent Brain.

Building Resilience in Teenagers
The concept of “resilience” offers a coherent framework for the creation of schools that are sensitive to the developmental needs of young people and their teachers.

10 steps to resilience:
Promote Belonging
Resilience is the happy knack of being able to bungy jump through the pitfalls of life. It is the strongest antidote we know of for self-harm, depression and drug abuse and it’s built on our sense of belonging.

Have some mooch time
We live in a world that suffers from attention deficit disorder. We rush children from activity to activity, from lesson to lesson and from one organised event to another. Then we wonder why, when there is a lull that they say” I’m bored”. Be a counter-revolutionary. Find some time each week just to be at home without anything structured happening.

Rediscover some family rituals
It doesn’t matter whether it is the family walk after dinner, the Sunday roast, the Friday night pizza or the Saturday morning clean up; rituals are highly protective. The best rituals often cost nothing. These are the activities you hope that later on your children will reminisce and say “Mum always made sure we did.” or Dad always made sure we did.”

Spontaneity and curiosity
Spontaneity and curiosity are the building blocks of good mental health. You cannot tell someone how to have better mental health and you can’t give it to them by getting them to read a book.

So the really hard message here is that if you want to raise your children to have mentally healthy lives you are going to have to have a good time yourself. If you want your children to succeed you need to show them that success is worth having.

Love kids for their differences
When families’ function well people are allowed to be different and to be loved for those differences.

We all know that children take on different roles. A father of three said “it’s as if they have a planning meeting once a year and say ‘you be the good kid, I’ll be the sick kid and the other one can be the trouble-maker’! And then just when you think you’ve got it figured out they change roles again”.

Having children who are strongly individual and who have a sense of who they are is a sign of good parenting. The problem may, of course be that they will then express their independent spirit in ways that you don’t like. The ideal is someone who has their own independent nature but is comfortable enough with themselves to allow inter-dependence.

Make it clear who is in charge
Families do not work well as democracies. In fact they seem to work best as benevolent dictatorships in which the parent or parents consult a lot with their children but at the end of the day, the parent has the final say.

Some parents fear that if they take charge they will lose the friendship of their children, but often the reverse is true.

Consistency
Consistency is the ideal. Having parents’ who agree on rules and standards and who convey the same sorts of messages and who value compassion over coercion, clearly have the best outcome in terms of children’s well being. It is also important that parents not be open to manipulation; rather they work together as a team.

Sometimes parents have different value systems or can’t come to a consistent way to handle particular areas. In these situations, a second possibility is to for one parent to take charge of a particular area. This is not the most desirable solution but it is better than having parents in conflict over management issues or worse, undermining one another. In single parent families or where parents are separated the same principle applies.

Teach the skills of Self-esteem
Families that work well seem to praise one another a lot. Compliments are made, positive efforts are commented on. Optimism is in the air. Even in these families, teenagers still shrug and say, “yeah Mum” or “yeah Dad” whenever a compliment is made.

Teaching the skills of self-praise is useful. One way of doing this to ask questions about any achievement or accomplishments. Asking questions like “how did you do that?” “How come you did so well at that test?” and “have you been doing homework behind my back?”

Know how to argue
Families that work well know how to argue. It seems strange to say this because we all have the sense those families that work well don’t have conflicts.

The family is really where we learn to resolve disputes fairly. The way that parents teach children to resolve differences of opinion with their brothers and sisters provides the basis for sharing, negotiating and problem solving in the world beyond the family.  While differences of opinion should be allowed to be expressed, children also need to learn that they will not be able to win at all costs

Parents are reliably unpredictable
With young children it is important to provide consistency and predictability. This allows them to feel secure.

As they get older it is important to have structure and consistency but it is also useful to act in ways that your children wouldn’t expect. This keeps them interested in learning from you or least wondering what you are up to.

Finally
Parents in healthy families realise that all of the above is desirable but not always possible and so they look at how to promote good functioning while not wasting energy on blaming themselves for the times when things don’t quite work out as they had planned.

Writer Helen Splarn. Editor Dr Ramesh Manocha.

Source: Inyahead