A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
In 2015, domestic and family violence (DFV) was declared a "national emergency" in Australia, with its impact on women and children costing the country an estimated A$22 billion each year. In 2019, the short and long-term consequences of childhood trauma, including DFV, were estimated to cost the Australian economy A$34 billion each year. While children may witness [...]
Technology-facilitated abuse refers to the use of mobile, internet and surveillance technologies in interpersonal harms, such as online sexual harassment, stalking, partner violence, and image-based abuse. Australian research has shown that technology-facilitated abuse is a growing problem – in particular, as a tool used by perpetrators in violence against women. Our previous collaborative research into image-based [...]
As Victorian schools, teachers and students adapt to the pressures of stage four lockdowns, questions have been raised about how inclusive education can be provided during remote learning. Inclusive education means providing high-quality schooling that's fair and equitable for all students. It means every child is welcomed and valued without exception. However, COVID-19 has created, [...]
Raquel Peel, University of Southern Queensland As some of us return to the workplace, or are planning to do so in the future, we face the challenges of a changed environment of social distancing rules and restrictions. It might be your workplace will set limits on how many people are allowed in the lunchroom at [...]
Anna Ross, University of Melbourne; Elizabeth Paton, University of Newcastle, and Michelle Blanchard, University of Melbourne The media is a key source of information about mental illness for the public, and research shows media coverage can influence public attitudes and perceptions of mental ill-health. But when it comes to complex mental illnesses such as psychosis [...]
Paul Haskell-Dowland, Edith Cowan University and Brianna O'Shea, Edith Cowan University Passwords have been used for thousands of years as a means of identifying ourselves to others and in more recent times, to computers. It’s a simple concept – a shared piece of information, kept secret between individuals and used to “prove” identity. Passwords in [...]
Evita March, Federation University Australia There is an urgent need to understand why people troll. Recent Australian estimates show about one in three internet users have experienced online harassment. Across several research studies, I have attempted to construct the psychological profile of those who trolls to harm others. In my most recent study, conducted with [...]
Social interaction can be risky during a pandemic, but it’s also important for young people’s development and mental health. Tammy Chang, University of Michigan and Matthew Dunn, University of Michigan America’s teens and young adults have a crucial role in containing the spread of COVID-19, but a series of youth surveys suggests that many misunderstand [...]
Stephen Carbone, University of Melbourne Despite the incremental easing of Victoria’s restrictions, it’s clear the journey towards COVID-normal is far slower than many people had hoped. Australians – particularly Victorians – have shown remarkable resilience, but many are suffering emotionally. The mental health impacts of COVID-19 During the early days of the pandemic, surveys showed [...]
Phillip Baker, Deakin University; Mark Lawrence, Deakin University, and Priscila Machado, Deakin University Humans (and our ancestors) have been processing food for at least 1.8 million years. Roasting, drying, grinding and other techniques made food more nutritious, durable and tasty. This helped our ancestors to colonise diverse habitats, and then develop settlements and civilisations. Many [...]
