This collaborative piece by Orygen and Mission Australia presents the findings of a 2021 survey of Australians aged 15 to 19 years. The study identifies aspects of their lives that were most negatively impacted by lockdowns and the groups who were most affected by COVID-19 and associated lockdowns. The study also makes recommendations for policy and practice.
Do violent teens become violent adults? Links between juvenile and adult domestic and family violence
This paper from the Australian Institute of Criminology examines the offending pathways of 8,465 young people aged 13-17 who had been proceeded against for at least one juvenile offence. The study followed these young people until age 23 and found that young people who had been proceeded against for at least one domestic and family violence (DFV) offence were much more likely than other offenders to become adult DFV offenders and that they reoffended more frequently.
Investigating the mental health of children exposed to domestic and family violence through the use of linked police and health records
In this report Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) presents findings from a unique set of data collected over a 30-year period in Western Australia. Researchers looked at instances of engagement with mental health agencies for children under the age of 18 who had been exposed to family violence. Key findings are detailed in the report.
Our youth, our way: Inquiry into the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in the Victorian youth justice system
The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) has released its report examining the lived experience of Aboriginal young people who have had contact with Victoria’s youth justice system and the factors that contribute to their overrepresentation. CCYP found that the continuing legacy of colonisation, the stolen generation and structural and institutional racism play a significant role in the over-representation of Aboriginal young people in the youth justice system. The report makes 75 recommendations.
Policies are needed to increase the reach and impact of evidence‑based parenting supports: A call for a population‑based approach to supporting parents, children, and families
While not a research study, this article authored by members of the Parenting and Families Research Alliance and published by Child Psychiatry & Human Development, provides a useful overview of the evidence for effective parenting interventions. The authors found that for parents and carers, the benefits of evidence-based parenting supports include improved wellbeing and mental health, positive relationships with their child, and enhanced skills, knowledge and confidence. For children and adolescents, the benefits of these programs include improved wellbeing and mental health, skills and competencies, and better academic attainment. The authors call for wider availability of evidence-based supports at a population level.
Toward a socio-ecological understanding of adolescent violence in the home by young people with disability: A conceptual review
Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) has released this report aiming to create a clearer conceptualisation of adolescent violence in the home (AVITH) and young people with disability to inform effective service responses. The review identifies six critical gaps in the evidence base and the impacts of this.
Uneven impacts of COVID-19 on the attendance rates of secondary school students from different socioeconomic backgrounds in Australia: A quasi-experimental analysis of administrative data
This article, published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, draws on administrative data on school attendance collected in Tasmania in 2020 to show how the impacts of COVID-19 school shutdowns were unevenly experienced by those from a lower SES background. This study found many negative impacts, which are further discussed in the article.
Young people’s perspectives on online hate, unwanted sexual content, and ‘unrealistic’ body- and appearance-related content: Implications for resilience and digital citizenship
This article, published in MDPI, explores the perspectives of young people in England aged 13 to 21 in relation to online harms and how they respond to harmful content. The study found many ways young people interact with the online world and what this means for resilience-building approaches.
“They thought it was safe – but it wasn’t”: Recognising children’s rights as a means of securing children’s safety in Australia’s family law system
This report from the Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University outlines the findings of a multiple case study project with adult victim-survivors of family violence whose parents went to court when they were children. The study found many common themes and includes recommendations to minimise harm to children in family courts, underpinned by a child right’s approach.
