A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Kimberley Baxter, Queensland University of Technology and Rebecca Byrne, Queensland University of Technology Feeding babies and toddlers can be challenging at the best of times. But when families can’t afford enough food, let alone the recommended range of different coloured vegetables, or iron-rich meats, it’s tougher still. In our recently published research, parents told us [...]
Pratik Raul, University of Canberra; Jeroen van Boxtel, University of Canberra, and Jovana Acevska, University of Canberra Autism is a neurodevelopmental difference associated with specific experiences and characteristics. For decades, autism research has focused on behavioural, cognitive, social and communication difficulties. These studies highlighted how autistic people face issues with everyday tasks that allistic [...]
Andrew Cashin, Southern Cross University Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg describes herself as having Asperger’s while others on the autism spectrum, such as Australian comedian Hannah Gatsby, describe themselves as “autistic”. But what’s the difference? Today, the previous diagnoses of “Asperger’s disorder” and “autistic disorder” both fall within the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, or [...]
Carmel Taddeo, University of South Australia and Barbara Spears, University of South Australia Many parents are worried about how much their children use social media and what content they might encounter while using it. Amid proposals to ban teenagers under 16yrs from social media and calls to better educate them about being safe online, how [...]
Join Andrew Fuller as he chats with guest Brett Lee on internet safety for young people. **CONTENT WARNING** This episode contains discussion and case studies describing disturbing predatory behaviour online. This program has been put together with the utmost care, with the intention of providing useful information to better support the wellbeing of [...]
Laura Scholes, Australian Catholic University Are you sure you want Frozen again? You’ve already seen it 20 times! Do you find your children asking to watch the same TV shows and movies, or play the same video games over and over (and over again)? Perhaps you also find yourself thinking it would be better if [...]
If you ask most people who they think is most likely to experience loneliness, they will probably describe someone in their later years – perhaps a widowed pensioner or an elderly person with health issues who lives alone. Twenty years or so ago, this was pretty much the case. Between 2001 and 2009, the [...]
Fiona McKay, Deakin University and Matthew Dunn, Deakin University More Australians than ever are vaping, according to recently released data. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows the proportion of Australians aged 14 and over who, in 2022–2023, said they currently vaped was 7%. In 2019 it was just 2.5%. Users are most likely [...]
Sara Goldstein, University of Delaware Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why are bullies so mean? – Daisy, age 9, Lake Oswego, Oregon Being bullied can make your life miserable, and decades of research prove it: [...]
Nina Van Dyke, Victoria University and Fiona MacDonald, Victoria University As children return to classrooms for 2024, school communities will be confronting bullying in person and via technology. In-person bullying and cyberbullying affect significant numbers of children and young people in Australia and around the world. The eSafety Commission recently revealed a 40% jump in [...]
