Youth Studies Australia articles from September 2008

Youth Studies Australia archives from September 2008

The more things change ...(Editorial)(Editorial)
September 1, 2008... We include in this edition a paper that was first published in Youth Studies Australia 13 years ago, but I think most readers would be hard pressed to pick its age. Maybe we live in a very static period as far as youth issues are concerned, or...

Girl Guides have their say.(ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In April, Girl Guides Australia released What girls say, a report outlining results from their survey of the local, national and global concerns of their members. Close to 4,500 Girl Guides aged 5-17 years took part in the survey, which asked...

Adult worries concern teens too.(ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... 'Needing to make money', 'being successful', 'getting a job' and 'home affordability' are the top concerns for Australian teenagers, according to the latest Dolly magazine Youth Monitor survey. Around 600 teenagers aged 10-17 years (both males...

What's hot in 2008.(ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS)(Author abstract)
September 1, 2008... Young Australians favour individual style over big brands, according to this year's edition of the annual youth survey conducted by Australian media and marketing company Lifelounge. Over 3,200 16-30-year-olds took part in the 2008 survey,...

Mayor talks tough on youth violence.(CRIME & JUSTICE)(Boris Johnson)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In May, newly elected Mayor of London Boris Johnson declared that addressing the city's youth violence problem would be his top priority. On the night that Mr Johnson was elected, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in London during a fight...

Youth crime getting younger.(CRIME & JUSTICE)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... An analysis of police statistics from four Australian states indicates an increase in the number of violent crimes committed by young Australians, particularly those aged 10-14 years. In total, the number of violent crimes committed by...

Traditional clothing helps girls cope.(CULTURE)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A study of mental health and behavioural problems among young people with different cultural identities living in London has found that girls from a cultural minority who preferred to wear 'traditional' clothing were less likely to experience...

New cannabis centre launched.(DRUGS)(National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In April, the Australian Government launched the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC), led by director Professor Jan Copelend. Located at the University of New South Wales, the centre aims to provide research and...

Mixed drinking data as the alcopop debate continues.(DRUGS)
September 1, 2008... * As debate continues about the federal government's decision to significantly increase the excise collected on alcopops as a way to reduce binge drinking among young people, data collected from hospital emergency rooms in Victoria show 'rapid...

Reported drug use drops.(DRUGS)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Selected findings from Youth Poll 2008, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja's annual poll of the attitudes and behaviours of Australia's 15-20-year-olds, indicate that reported rates of marijuana use, amphetamine and hallucinogen use and tobacco use...

GHB callouts increase in Melbourne.(DRUGS)(gamma-hydroxybutyrate; Melbourne, Australia)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A study reviewing the number of ambulance callouts in the Melbourne metropolitan area for overdoses of the party drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), commonly known as fantasy, shows that the incidence of these callouts increased by about 4% per...

Booklet criticised for drug use advice.(DRUGS)(Choosing to Use ... But Wanna Keep Your Head Together?)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In June, the Sydney West Area Health Service was accused of promoting illegal drug use among high school students through an educational resource that it says was 'designed to provide young people and their families with information about risks...

Lobby groups question cigarette backflip.(DRUGS)(Action on Smoking and Health on Qantas Airways's in-flight selling of cigarettes)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Qantas has been criticised by anti-smoking lobby groups for its decision to re-introduce in-flight cigarette sales on its international flights in response to customer demand. Action on Smoking and Health chief executive Anne Jones said that...

It's evolution, baby :).(EDUCATION)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Close to two-thirds of the 700 American students involved in a study into writing and technology among young people said that the writing style they use in personal electronic communications creeps into their school assignments from time to...

Deferring rural students 'get hooked on earning'.(EDUCATION)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The need for rural students to establish themselves as financially independent before they can qualify for youth allowance is contributing to high tertiary deferral rates among rural students in Victoria, according to Georgie Ferrari, chief...

Youth Allowance under fire.(EDUCATION)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Recent media reports highlight the difficulty that many university students experience in meeting the costs of tertiary study. A survey of 450 university students, conducted by the Monash Student Association, found that many students are having...

School failure hits girls harder.(EDUCATION)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A longitudinal study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington has found that young women who experience school suspension or expulsion, or drop out of school, are more likely to suffer a serious bout of depression before the age...

Is the writing on the wall for handwriting?(EDUCATION)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The ever-increasing use of computer technology in the classroom has prompted the New South Wales Board of Studies to explore the possibility of allowing students to use keyboards and computers to complete exams in the future. Earlier this year,...

Program aims to inspire satellite youth.(EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING)(Playford Pathways)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Although conceived 53 years ago by South Australian premier Thomas Playford as an idyllic satellite city to the north of Adelaide, the community of Elizabeth has experienced economic and social disadvantage for many years, including ongoing...

Most teens and parents are getting along.(FAMILIES)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Findings from a recent Australian study indicate that most teenagers have a generally positive relationship with their parents. The Australian Institute of Family Studies-led study, which investigated the relationships between teenagers and...

Breakfast variety good for the mind.(HEALTH & SAFETY)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Research involving 838 14-year-old girls and boys suggests that eating a breakfast that combines foods from different food groups is associated with better mental health in teenagers, regardless of factors such as weight, exercise routine or...

Pilot program keeping young people at home.(HEALTH & SAFETY)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A feature article published in the Weekend Australian in June looked at the difficulties faced by younger people who suffer from progressive neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington's disease and...

Young workers face injury risks.(HEALTH & SAFETY)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... An examination of workplace injury data, gathered from emergency departments in Queensland hospitals over a seven-year period, indicates that young people, particularly young women, are more likely than their older colleagues to sustain...

Self-harm hospitalisations on the rise.(HEALTH & SAFETY)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A report released in June by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicates that hospitalisation rates for deliberate self-harm among young Australians aged 12-24 years have increased by 43% in the past decade. This increase was...

The importance of a good night's sleep.(HEALTH & SAFETY)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Two studies presented at the Sleep 2008 meeting of the Associated Sleep Societies, held in the US in June, highlighted sleep issues experienced by teenagers. A Swedish study involving 21 teenagers compared the lifestyles of those who made 15 or...

Advice falls on deaf ears.(HEALTH & SAFETY)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Young Australians are failing to heed warnings about the potential damage to their hearing caused by listening to music at loud volumes, according to a report compiled by Australian Hearing. The Is Australia listening report, based on results...

KIPPERS cling to family life.(HOUSING & HOMELESNESS)(kids in parents' pockets eroding retirement savings)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Census data indicates that the number of 25-29-year-olds living at home increased from 46,000 in 1986 to almost 200,000 in 2006. Rather than attributing this trend to young people living at home to offset the costs of further education, social...

Young men more likely to stay in the nest.(HOUSING & HOMELESNESS)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Young men are living in the family home for longer than their female counterparts, according to an analysis of data from the most recent census conducted by business information analysts IBISWorld Australia. Among 20-24-year-olds, 58% of men...

Boys rule the media market.(MEDIA)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... An article published in the Sunday Age in June examines the gender imbalance in the roles played by male and female characters in films and books aimed at young people. 'In the vast majority of films, girls are passive love interests or fellow...

Eating disorder symptoms lead to greater problems.(MENTAL HEALTH)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... An Australian study involving 2000 young women found that those who exhibited symptoms of a serious eating disorder as teenagers faced an increased likelihood of drug addiction, mental illness and having an abortion by age 25. The study,...

New anorexia treatment piloted in NSW.(MENTAL HEALTH)(New South Wales)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A drug-free approach to treating anorexia among adolescents is being piloted by NSW Health in Sydney's southwest. The Maudsley Approach, developed at the Maudsley Hospital in London in the 1980s, focuses on weight gain and allows young people...

Body image more problematic for Aussies than Asians.(MENTAL HEALTH)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A study comparing rates of body dysmorphic disorder among more than 900 first-year university students in Australia and China has found that Australian students were far more likely to suffer from this psychiatric condition, in which people...

SSRIs prescribed against advice.(MENTAL HEALTH)(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Figures from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing indicate that 279,460 scripts for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants were prescribed to young Australians and subsidised under the Pharmaceutical...

Young mums feel judged.(PREGNANCY & PARENTHOOD)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... University of Canberra academic lain Hay's current research into teenage pregnancy and parenthood indicates that young mothers feel self-conscious about going out in public with their children and also feel 'disengaged from their friends,...

Teen mums smoke on.(PREGNANCY & PARENTHOOD)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Data gathered by the Queensland Perinatal Data Collection Unit between July 2005 and December 2006 indicate that almost half of all teenage mothers had smoked cigarettes while pregnant. Of the 4,314 teenage mothers in Queensland who gave birth...

Catholic youth rock Sydney.(RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY)(Sydney, Australia)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In July, Sydney played host to the Catholic Church's two-to-three-yearly celebration of its young believers, World Youth Day (WYD). Young Catholics from around the world came to Australia for the event, which culminated in the attendance of...

Warning on brain development research.(RIGHTS)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... RMIT University youth work researchers Professor Judith Bessant and Rys Farthing have expressed concerns that current theories about adolescent brain development may have detrimental policy consequences for young people. 'My concern is that...

US teens taking fewer risks.(RISK-TAKING)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... When it comes to sexual activity and drug and alcohol use, today's American high school students are taking fewer risks than their counterparts in the 1990s did, according to research conducted by the US Centres for Disease Control and...

The state of Victoria's young people 2007.(RISK-TAKING)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The Victorian Government has released a report containing a snapshot of young Victorians aged 12-24 years. The state of Victoria's young people 2007 was prepared by the Department of Education and Early Childhood and the Department of Planning...

Here comes generation Z.(RISK-TAKING)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... * Just when we were coming to terms with the traits and trends of generation Y, demographers and social researchers are turning their attention to the next emerging generation, generation Z, and making predictions about the type of young people...

Older people have more fun.(RISK-TAKING)(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A comparative study of the social lives and social satisfaction of older adults and younger adults indicates that older people may be better at deriving enjoyment and satisfaction from their activities. The combined University of...

A Youth Studies Australia anthology for youth workers.(Introduction)
September 1, 2008... Back in 1995, Youth Studies Australia published an article by Richard Eckersley that provoked much discussion over questions relating to young people, culture and values. At the heart of Richard's argument was the notion that contemporary...

Values and visions: youth and the failure of modern Western culture.(Essay)
September 1, 2008... In this age of dissatisfaction with our present, and unease about our future, science writer and strategic analyst Richard Eckersley challenges us to address the fundamental issue of 'how we are to live'--an issue he places beyond the...

Online network use in schools: social and educational opportunities.(Essay)
September 1, 2008... Most state governments in Australia have banned popular online networking sites from public schools after these sites were accused of supporting a broad host of threats to young people. This paper questions the effectiveness of these bans in...

The real cost of linking homeless young people to employment, education and training.
September 1, 2008... This article explores the implementation of the Victorian Youth Employment, Education and Training Initiative (YEETI). This statewide initiative delivered brokerage funds to homeless young people through their housing advocates. One of the...

Meeting the needs of marginalised young men: an analysis of service provision.(Report)
September 1, 2008... Recent research into the needs of marginalised young men in the inner west of Sydney found that there are serious problems related to service accessibility for this group. This article explores some of these key issues related to accessibility...

"This is not a rave!" Changes in the commercialised Melbourne rave/dance party scene.(Melbourne, Australia)(Essay)
September 1, 2008... Raves have been the subject of sociological research for many years, with their increasing commercialisation being a key topic of interest. However, little attention has been paid to how young people attending raves view the changes in rave...

Adolescence: Adolescents' views on war and peace in the early phases of the Iraq conflict.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... This study of 209 Catholic school children aged 10-14, whose school is within commuting distance of New York City, took place in October 2003, six months after the commencement of the Iraq War and two years after the 9/11 attacks on the World...

Adolescence: Aggressive adolescents in residential care: A selective review of treatment requirements and models.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... While aggressive behaviour is often one of the reasons why adolescents are moved from home to a residential care unit, continuation of this behaviour within the unit can result in removal to an even stricter facility and can be a threat to...

Adolescence: Acceptability of dating violence among late adolescents: The role of sports participation, competitive attitudes, and selected dynamics of relationship violence.(Reprint)
September 1, 2008... The prevalence of dating violence has been known for some time, and previous research has looked at a number of factors that contribute to it. According to this author, however, few empirical studies have addressed the issue of athletes'...

ACSSA Newsletter: Sexual pressure and young people's negotiation of consent.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Drawing on the author's ongoing doctoral study, this paper looks at young Australians' perceptions and experiences of negotiating sexual encounters in this era of 'unprecedented sexualised culture' when the age of first intercourse has dropped...

Journal of Research on Adolescence: Is being popular a risky proposition?(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... 'Although peer relations researchers have historically viewed "popular" adolescents as socially adept and well adjusted, it is clear that this sunny depiction tells only one side of the story.' The authors of this study cite other research that...

Adolescence: Adolescents' perceptions of bullying: Who is the victim? Who is the bully? What can be done to stop bullying?(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... A study group of 119 students (48 males, 71 females) aged 15 to 20 years from two high schools in the city of Geteborg, Sweden, were asked about their experiences of bullying and were posed three open-ended questions: According to you, why do...

Adolescence: The problem of school bullies: What the research tells us.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... This overview of the history of research on school bullying and teachers' knowledge of and attitudes towards bullying includes a brief examination of two model interventions designed to reduce bullying in schools. The first is by J. Dillon and...

Childrenz Issues: Whanau mentoring, Maori youth and crime: Possible ways forward.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... With Maori youth disproportionately represented in the New Zealand justice system and a discernable breakdown of the whanau (immediate and extended family) as a functional social institution within Maori society, this author is calling for a...

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry: Reasons why young adults do or do not seek help for alcohol problems.(Reprint)(Clinical report)
September 1, 2008... In order to investigate the reasons why young adults with alcohol problems do, or do not, seek help or treatment for their problem, 1,003 25-year-old members of a birth cohort were interviewed about the period since their previous interview at...

Children Australia: The value of ethnographic research: University students and financial hardship.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Do 'poverty line' models of research, which claim to establish objective and accurate measures of financial adversity, actually help in understanding the problem of student hardship? That is the primary question addressed by the author of this...

Journal of Education and Work: An international study of career drivers of accounting students in Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The authors of this study say that 'high level business scandals' (e.g. Enron, Worldcom) in the global economy have created an increased demand for the knowledge and skills of public accountants. So we know the demand is there, but what else...

Journal of Education and Work: The predominance of work-based training in young graduates' learning.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In a rare look at the experiences of young graduates, this UK research undertook in-depth life story interviews in 2005-2006 with 90 young adults who had graduated from six contrasting types of higher educational institutions. The interviews...

Journal of Education and Work: Learning at trade vocational school and learning at work: Boundary crossing in apprentices' everyday life.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... In Denmark, as in Australia, modern vocational education of apprentices is a combination of learning at a trade vocational school and at the workplace. This article, which supports this approach to learning, draws on the author's recent...

Australian Journal of Psychology: Responses to ethical challenges in conducting research with Australian adolescents.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The central proposition of the authors of this analysis of the challenges of conducting research under Australia's current ethical guidelines is that 'undue emphasis is placed upon obtaining parental consent before adolescents can participate...

Occasional Paper No. 18: Costs of children: Research commissioned by the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... This paper brings under one cover three reports on the costs of children in Australian families: 1) 'Updated costs of children using Australian budget standards' by P Henman, which provides estimates of average Australian costs of raising...

Journal of Early Adolescence: Apples and oranges: Divergent meanings of parents' and adolescents' perceptions of parental influence.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Previous research into the quality of parent-adolescent relationships has largely relied on one person's rating of that family's relationships--either the adolescent's, a parent's or an outsider's. Consequently, the authors of this...

Journal of Early Adolescence: Family narratives, self and gender in early adolescence.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... If narratives are the way in which we make sense of our experiences, does the way in which parents structure narratives (i.e. reminisce) about emotional aspects of the past relate to their children's self-esteem and emotional and behavioural...

Australian Journal of Psychology: Changes in adolescent smoking behaviour and knowledge of health consequences of smoking.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Does the level of knowledge an adolescent has about the health consequences of smoking covary with changes in smoking behaviour over time? According to this study, no. In this 12-month longitudinal study, starting with a sampling frame from 13...

Journal of Research on Adolescence: Gender, pubertal development, and peer sexual harassment predict objectified body consciousness in early adolescence.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Objectified body consciousness (OBC) is the tendency to view one's body as an object for others to look at and evaluate, and the primary goal of this study was 'to better understand the relations between OBC and factors hypothesised to...

Childrenz Issues: Privacy, independence and peer interaction on an adolescent ward.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... It has been accepted for a number of years that privacy, independence and peer interaction should be available to adolescent patients in a purpose-built adolescent ward. But does this happen in practice? As part of her doctoral research, the...

Journal of Adolescence: Implications of inadequate parental bonding and peer victimisation for adolescent mental health.(Reprint)
September 1, 2008... This examination of 1,432 Australian school students aged 12-16 years looked at the relative contribution of perceived poor parenting and exposure to peer victimisation to students' mental status. Questionnaires containing reliable self-report...

Parity: Holly House: A case for supported housing for young mothers.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... Despite a decline in the overall birth rate, New Zealand continues to have one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the developed world, and housing for young pregnant women and mothers is a significant problem. Holly House was established...

Parity: Responding to homelessness in South Australia.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... This special issue coinciding with the National Homeless Conference in Adelaide covers a range of housing and homelessness topics, including: 'Homeless young people in South Australia: Their thoughts and experiences with YSAAP accommodation...

Youth & Policy: Young people and civic participation: A conceptual review.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The interesting fact that more than one-quarter of the world's population (1.7 billion) is aged 10-24 years and represents proportionately the largest group in history ever to be entering adulthood, opens this critical review of the many...

Adolescence: Adolescents on the net: Internet use and well-being.(Reprint)
September 1, 2008... The authors of this study asked: since the communication applications of the internet (e.g. instant messaging and chat rooms) are used by adolescents to interact with both known and unknown peers, is such use related to their well-being? For...

Australian Journal of Career Development: What can be learned from the roller coaster journeys of young people making ultimately successful transitions beyond school?(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The interrelationships between family expectations and young people's post-school plans were investigated in this ACER research project for the Smith Family. Findings are based on an extensive literature review and interviews with 10 young...

Adolescence: Parental bond and life course transitions from adolescence to young adulthood.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... The generally accepted notion that most adolescents and young adults maintain positive relationships with their parents over time, and that the quality of this relationship affects the young person's well-being may, according to this study,...

Journal of Early Adolescence: We knew them then: Sixth grade characteristics that predict adolescent high school social identities.(Abstract)(Report)
September 1, 2008... Shallow and stereotypical though they are, social identities--the aspects of the self-concept that derive from our perceptions of ourselves as members of particular social categories--are well-formed by, or in, our high school years. The early...

Child Abuse Prevention Issues: Getting the big picture: A synopsis and critique of Australian out-of-home care research.(Abstract)
September 1, 2008... With nearly 30,000 children and young people living in formal out-of-home care placements in Australia, there is enormous pressure on this country's out-of-home care system. This pressure is complicated by the varied jurisdictions--government...

Addresses of abstracted publications.(Website list)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Adolescence ISSN 0001-8449 www.abe.pl/html/english/detailsj.php?id=0001-8449 ACSSA Aware ISSN 1448-8140 www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/newsletter/n17.html Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ISSN...

headspace: National Youth Mental Foundation.(Youth Initiatives)(Organization overview)
September 1, 2008... What is headspace? headspace is Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation. It provides a national, coordinated focus on youth mental health and related drug and alcohol problems in Australia. It aims to improve access to...