A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Tayla Harris marked the ball early in the first quarter at Whitten Oval against the Western Bulldogs. She went back and coolly slotted the goal from 45 metres out. When I watched the ball fly through the posts I said what I normally say after a classy goal: "Good finish." Set shot, 40 plus metres [...]
Dear Parent: I know. You're worried. Every day, your child comes home with a story about THAT kid. The one who is always hitting/shoving/pinching/scratching/maybe even biting other children. The one who always has to hold my hand in the hallway. The one who has a special spot at the carpet, and sometimes sits on a [...]
Ask a teen today how she communicates with her friends, and she’ll probably hold up her smartphone. Not that she actually calls her friends; it’s more likely that she texts them or messages them on social media. Today’s teens – the generation I call “iGen” that’s also called Gen Z – are constantly connected with [...]
In recent months, we have been confronted by events that make the world seem unsafe. Among these are the horrific stories of child sexual abuse, the rise in Aboriginal youth suicide and the tragedy of mass killings at the hands of an Australian terrorist in Christchurch. Many of us feel anger, despair, hopelessness and grief [...]
The world is reeling in the aftermath of the horrific shootings in Christchurch. The attack has also raised a number of side issues, including the ethics of broadcasting the live stream of the attack, which was later shared on other platforms. As social media is fast becoming the favoured news source among young people, concerns [...]
As an immigrant to New Zealand, I am saddened and outraged by the events in Christchurch. The apparent innocence of New Zealand has been stripped away by acts of cowardice and evil. Police remain on high alert and authorities are still responding to events following the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch that took the [...]
Youth are using e-cigarettes (also known as vaping devices) at a rapidly increasing rate — a practice that constitutes an urgent threat to public health. Preliminary survey data suggests that, for the first time in 30 years, the youth smoking rate has increased in Canada, with e-cigarettes being the suspected cause. Recent data from the [...]
When the world is struck with a catastrophic event, the instinct to shield our children from the effects of it is completely understandable. We want them to grow up believing that the world is pure and good and geared in their favour. We also want them to feel safe, and avoiding a discussion isn’t necessarily [...]
Last Friday saw our speakers give stellar presentations at our second and final Student and Youth Wellbeing Program. As part of the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, many of the presentations spoke to this theme which is becoming an increasing problem for young people. Jonny Shannon started the day by relating [...]
We all think we know what pornography is, whether we oppose it, use it, or tolerate it. But are we all conjuring up the same images? The term has been used to describe, for example: a music video clip of a naked Miley Cyrus straddling a wrecking ball; Bill Henson’s photographs of naked children, hung [...]
