Staff Writer

About Generation Next

Generation Next is a social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people.

If we want students to feel safe at school, we can’t encourage teachers to spot potential extremists

In the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack, former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair told a global education forum extremism should be treated as a global problem like climate change. He said: there should be an international agreement to put teaching against extremism into education systems around the world. Following terrorist attacks, it’s understandable politicians [...]

By |2019-04-08T10:06:10+10:00April 1st, 2019|Categories: Education|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

How to develop your learning strengths

The 300 trillion connections between your brain cells have an amazing amount of processing power. The way your brain processes information is as unique to you as your fingerprints. All of your life experiences, thoughts, memories, your ancestry and a considerable amount of your future isin the connections inside your head. The brain cells called [...]

Would You Know If Your Child Was Self-harming?

When parents find out that their child is self-harm they often feel alone and assume that their child is the only one struggling with this issue. However, the 2015 Mental Health Child and Adolescent Report tells us that approximately 10% of young people consciously experiment with self-harm at some stage through high school. Other research [...]

By |2021-03-03T16:37:44+11:00April 1st, 2019|Categories: self-harm|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

More than one in four high school students have experienced signs of depression

More than a quarter of high school students have experienced signs of clinical depression and other psychiatric conditions, with the type of mood disorder influencing students’ risk of suicide and self-harm. The UNSW study – published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease – offers a concerning insight into the lack of mental health [...]

The terror of climate change is transforming young people’s identity

Today, at least 50 rallies planned across Australia are expected to draw thousands of students who are walking out of school to protest climate change inaction. These Australian students join children from over 82 countries who are striking to highlight systemic failure to address climate change. But the strikes represent more than frustration and resistance. [...]

I would choose Tayla Harris over sad men of the internet any day

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: About THAT kid

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 [...]

By |2019-03-25T11:20:02+11:00March 25th, 2019|Categories: Trauma|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

Teens have less face time with their friends – and are lonelier than ever

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 [...]

By |2021-02-24T18:17:51+11:00March 25th, 2019|Categories: Social Media, Technology|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

‘It’s real to them, so adults should listen’: what children want you to know to help them feel safe

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 [...]

By |2021-03-03T16:07:46+11:00March 25th, 2019|Categories: Anxiety, Trauma|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

A guide for parents and teachers: what to do if your teenager watches violent footage

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 [...]

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