A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Our kids trust us to instil in them values and ethics that will help them navigate the difficult terrain of school, friendship and, later, personal and professional relationships. Values that will help them turn out to be well-rounded, functional human beings. To do this, they need to know that material goods, like fashion, do not [...]
Late last week the Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth released The State of Australia's Young People Report, examining youth aged from 15-24 years of age. The report was commissioned earlier this year by the Office for Youth to complete the State of Australia’s Young People report and will later be used [...]
Over the years I have attended a number of Schoolies Week celebrations and although there have always been incidents, usually linked to excessive alcohol consumption, for the most part I have found the young people to be very well behaved and reasonably sensible. The most concerning aspect of the event is the social pressure on [...]
‘Sexting’, the sending and receiving of sexually explicit images via mobile phones or other applications such as instant messaging, email or through social networking sites has, until recently, gone largely unreported. What is concerning about the activity is its rapidly increasing popularity. It was often an extension of ‘I’ll show you mine if you show [...]
This month's death of 2 experienced sailors highlights the dangers inherent in yachting and the sheer insanity and utter inadvisability of Jessica Watson's bid to sail solo around the world. Many experienced yachties have added their voice to a growing chorus of experts, which includes Queensland's Maritime Safety Bureau, saying that 16 years old is too [...]
I often get asked questions like ‘what can I do?’ about the sexualisation of children. I think the key to change is collective grass-roots action so here are just a few ideas that may help you start your own local campaign: Ask your local video store manager to move the ‘adult only' section away from [...]
An American study linked computer games to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when it found people who play computer games for around 40 hours a week are more likely to have difficulty paying attention than people who only play computer games for a couple of hours a week. The researchers who conducted the study conceded that [...]
Generation Next is coming to Perth! Featuring speakers such as Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Julie Gale, Paul Dillon and Susan McLean, the seminar will provide solutions to the challenges facing generations Y and Z. The seminar will cover a range of topics including cybersafety (including cyberbullying and sexting), the sexualisation of our children in the media, [...]
A Melbourne business marketing 'make-up parties' to girls as young as four has been slammed for sexualising children. The business offers to 'makeover' children with blush, eye liner, eye shadow and nail-paint. Kids Free 2B Kids founder and Generation Next speaker Julie Gale described the business as harming to children. "Parents need to wake up. [...]
A British study of 17,000 parents and their children found that mothers who return to work before their child's first birthday do not harm their child's mental development. The study examined children born in the 1990s with a series of tests and questionnaires. Co-author of the study, Professor Heather Joshi, described why the study is [...]
