Youth Studies Australia back issues from March 2005:
Abuse link with female criminals.(Abuse)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... In an Australian Institute of Criminology survey, 87% of 470 female prisoners interviewed said they had suffered sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Two thirds were abused as children ....
Reforms in Queensland foster care.(Abuse)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... * An audit of the abuse notifications about foster carers who had children placed with them between 1997 and 30 June 2003 examined nearly 130 abuse notifications, involving 139 carets and 199 children. The audit by the Child Safety (formerly Families) Department found that more than a ...
Tasmania reports on abuse of state wards.(Abuse)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A 16-month investigation by Tasmanian Ombudsman Jan O'Grady into the abuse of state wards heard claims of sexual, physical and emotional abuse from 247 former wards of the state. Releasing the report on 24 November 2004, Ms O'Grady attacked governments of all states for shunning victims of ...
Call for police summit as number of cases rises.(child abuse)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Following reports from all states in November and December of a rise in the number of child abuse cases, NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney called for a national summit on the issue. The call received support from Western Australia, Victoria, ACT and Queensland. Commissioner Moroney said ...
Twixters, tweeners and quarter-life crisis.(Development)
Mar 01, 2005; ... 'Meet the twixters, young adults who live with their parents, bounce from job to job and hop from mate to mate. They're not lazy ... they just won't grow up' that's the cover header for Time magazine's (24/1/05) 10-page feature by Lev Grossman on this increasingly quixotic generation of ...
Why are boys risk-takers?(brain research)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... This question, addressed in a 10-page feature by Kate Legge in the Weekend Australian Magazine (11/12/04, p.35), is again answered with reference to brain development. Research (also referred to in past issues of YSA) shows that frontal lobe development continues to evolve in adolescence ...
Expressing emotions harder for boys.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A survey for the Kids Help Line of 422 boys aged five to 18 found that 47% of the boys interviewed never or very rarely talked about their feelings or concerns. More than 40% of these boys, however, said they would like to talk about such things. They cited barriers such as fear of ...
SA diversion program a success.(South Australia)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A South Australian drug diversion scheme that offers health assessment and treatment as an alternative to prosecution for those caught with small quantities of drugs is being hailed as a success by police ...
National strategy to stamp out smoking.(Development)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A draft strategy prepared by state and federal health officials recommends that the 'costs of addressing tobacco-related harm are borne by those who manufacture or sell tobacco, rather than by other Australian taxpayers'. The strategy also recommends: making cigarettes more expensive; a ...
New evidence links cannabis and psychosis.(Development)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A four-year study of 2400 young Germans found 'exposure to cannabis during adolescence and young adulthood increases the risk of psychotic symptoms later in life'. The study by Maastricht University in the Netherlands was published in the British Medical Journal and supports earlier ...
WA survey on attitudes to drugs use.(Development)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... The West Australian-HBF iGeneration survey of 500 people aged 18-30 found that nine in 10 are opposed to the legalisation of hard drugs such as heroin and more than half think recreational drug use ...
Party drug use becoming 'normalised'.(ecstasy, cannabis)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... The use of ecstasy, speed and cannabis at parties and clubs is becoming increasingly common and health practitioners and researchers are concerned that current public health messages about the drugs are ineffective. Dr David Caldicott, research fellow in the Emergency and Trauma Department ...
National drug surveys.(Development)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... * The report of the 2002 National Drug Strategy survey of 23,000 students aged 12-17 was released in November. The survey shows that tobacco and cannabis smoking among that age group has dropped since 1999 and drinking has levelled out. Findings include: 19% of 12-year-olds were regular ...
Oz education goes the distance.(reports)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A UNESCO report measuring educational progress in 121 developed and developing countries shows Australians spend an average of 20.1 years in formal education--more than any other country except the UK (21.8 years). The report, based on 2001 information, shows Australians have added ...
Swipe cards monitor attendance.(Education)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... With computerised swipe cards, students at Airds High School in Sydney's southwest are able to provide information on their comings and goings--40% of the senior students are involved in training at TAFE and other venues. School attendance, discipline and school completion have improved ...
National literacy review.(research in literacy education)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Dr Brendan Nelson, federal Minister for Education, announced that a National Inquiry into Teaching of Literacy would focus on three main issues: how reading was taught in schools, how it was tested and how our teachers are trained. Chair of the 10-member committee, Dr Ken Rowe, a research ...
Validating home schooling.(Education)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A Queensland government consultation paper, Education Laws for the Future, proposes a series of actions that ensures home schooling is a legitimate education choice in addition to mainstream state and nonstate education. It proposes that requirements be expanded to allow parents more ...
Calls for a plain English report card.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority is expected to recommend to the state's Department of Education that they change from the current expository, generalised statements form of school report to a scale of results that show how a child is performing in relation to ...
Redefining homework.(Homework and the Homework Grid)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Homework and the Homework Grid, a new book by WA high school principal, Ian Lillico, offers a new approach to homework that recognises the need for homework to relate to practical, real-life situations. The approach is based around a 12-square grid, the centrepiece of which is simply ...
Coeducation? Not a problem ...(Education)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A study of three coeducational private schools in Melbourne's eastern suburbs found that romantic liaisons were rare and the presence of the opposite sex did not distract students from their schoolwork. The study's author, Sue Bennett (Education, Deakin University), said she was 'surprised ...
... And class size doesn't matter.(Education)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... New UK research found that smaller classes made little or no difference to the maths, English and science results of primary school students. The study by the University of London's Institute of Education defined a small class as under 25, and a large one as over 30. The researchers found ...
Students losing interest in science while other subjects go up.
Mar 01, 2005; ... The ACT Education Department reported a decline in the number of students choosing to study science--fewer than half the 2003 Year 12 students studied science compared to 62.6% ten years ago. This is part of a national trend, with very significant declines in 2002 in the study of chemistry ...
Uni enrolments down, students on the move.(university)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... All of the major dailies in the month of January carried reports on the decline in university enrolment numbers. The number of students attending university dipped from 659,800 in 2003 to 658,048 in 2004. The previous decline was in 2000. Reasons given for the decline included increased ...
New parental responsibility legislation in WA.(Family)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Western Australia is the first Australian state to introduce laws modelled on the British system imposing court orders on parents to help them control 'wayward' children. Under legislation to be introduced to state parliament in 2005, parents, can be compelled to attend counselling, ...
Grandparents' difficult role in family splits.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A study of the legal needs of older people by the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW found that grandparents who become involved in custody battles risk losing contact with their grandchildren and can spend up to $10,000 to win visiting rights. While grandparents are the main providers of ...
Sun-safe message not getting through.(Health)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... A NSW Department of Health study found more than 80% of teenage girls thought having a tan was attractive, and 77% of high school students reported being sunburnt in the ...
New study favours early diagnosis for BPD.(Health)(borderline personality disorder)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Borderline personality disorder affects about 2% of the adult population and is characterised by impulsive, often self-destructive, behaviour and mood swings. A two-year study by the Orygen Research Centre in Melbourne comparing earlier treatment methods with new, structured programs is ...
Seeds of poor health sown in childhood.(Health)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Research at the University of Western Australia shows findings similar to that of NSW research reported in the previous 'Youth Monitor' (YSA, v.23, n.4 2004, p.8), relating childhood obesity to early onset of health problems. The WA research, published in the January 2005 issues of the ...
Kraft Foods changing advertising to children.(Health)
Mar 01, 2005; ... The Kraft Foods company in the United States announced in January that it is going to curb its advertising of several of its popular snack food items to children under 12. TV, radio and print ads for its less nutritious products aimed at children aged 6 to 11 will be phased out. The ...
New Victorian figures on abortion rates.(Health)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Figures obtained by The Age under freedom of information show the number of teenage terminations in public hospitals rose from 760 in 1992-93 to 1107 in 2002-03. The number of teenage terminations in private clinics in 2002-03 was 1669. The highest overall rates of abortion ...
Students turning to prescription drugs.
Mar 01, 2005; ... * A Wall Street Journal report in the Australian Financial Review (6/12/04, p.32) says US high school and university students are increasingly using a range of stimulants normally prescribed for ADHD in order to improve their performance. Prescriptions for stimulants in the US have risen ...
Aborigines urged to speak up about assaults.(NSW Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Taskforce )(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... The NSW Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Taskforce (ACSAT) is calling for confidential submissions from anyone concerned about child sexual assault in their communities. A report by the NSW Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council, Speak Out, Speak Strong, found that 70% of Indigenous women in ...
Mentor plan to address unemployment.(Indigenous youth)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews announced a mentoring plan to help Aboriginal teenagers into jobs. 'The Government is determined to reduce the rate of unemployment among Indigenous people, which is currently 20%, compared to the unemployment rate for all ...
Pentecostal movement attracting young people.(Religion & spirituality)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Australia's Religious Communities, released in January by the Christian Research Association, confirms the success of the Pentecostal youth movement in Australia. The association, which is supported by the major Christian denominations and World Vision, says that of the 5 million ...
Mobiles not the answer to safety.(Technology)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005; ... Mobile phones are convenient but parents should not rely upon them for security, according to a survey by the Australian Psychological Society. The survey found that 51% of parents gave their children a mobile phone for safety, but 77% of parents could not always get in touch with their ...
Active thinking.(Special focus: youth sport, physical activity and leisure in Australia and New Zealand)
Mar 01, 2005; ... In this special edition of Youth Studies Australia, leading Australian and New Zealand researchers on physical activity share their thoughts on youth sport, physical activity and leisure in Australia and New Zealand. Aaron Smith highlights the features of successful junior ...
Engaging students with school life.(research)
Mar 01, 2005; ... How can we engage more students with school? This paper examines research that points to a student's participation in extracurricular activities, such as sport, as having a strong effect on a range of educational outcomes. It also examines the influences on students' individual engagement ...
Becoming somebody: changing priorities and physical activity.
Mar 01, 2005; ... The ways young people negotiate their participation in physical activity in relation to other priorities in their lives, during and beyond school, are explored here from a sociological approach to youth. The data from interviews for the Longitudinal Life Activity Project are used to ...
Is it fun to be young on the Gold Coast? Perceptions of leisure opportunities and constraints among young people living on the Gold Coast.
Mar 01, 2005; ... Leisure has always been a space where young people have sought to experience different lifestyles, activities, identities and social groups. However, 'being young' is far more than an age-related process, and planning for young people's leisure requires knowledge and understanding of the ...
World Leisure, founded in 1952, is a worldwide, non-governmental association 'dedicated to discovering and fostering those conditions best permitting leisure to serve as a force for human growth, development and well-being'.(World Leisure and Recreation Association)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... * World Leisure, founded in 1952, is a worldwide, non-governmental association 'dedicated to discovering and fostering those conditions best permitting leisure to serve as a force for human growth, development and well-being'. At their October 2002 conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ...
The Leisure Studies Association, formed in 1975, provides 'a unique multidisciplinary meeting and communication forum for researchers, practitioners and students involved in all areas of leisure studies and its many directly and indirectly related areas of interest'.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... The Leisure Studies Association, formed in 1975, provides 'a unique multidisciplinary meeting and communication forum for researchers, practitioners and students involved in all areas of leisure studies and its many directly and indirectly related areas of interest'. The LSA's 2004 ...
The Academy of Leisure Sciences was created in 1980 by 30 founding members.(services)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... The Academy of Leisure Sciences was created in 1980 by 30 founding members. Its main purpose is the intellectual advancement of leisure sciences. Its section of 'Academy Experts' lists the areas of expertise ...
NYA's advice to youth on leisure: The UK's National Youth Agency web site offers pragmatic advice to youth in terms of their leisure activities.(National Youth Agency)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... NYA's advice to youth on leisure: The UK's National Youth Agency web site offers pragmatic advice to youth in terms of their leisure activities: 'If you are not working, leisure can take on a completely different meaning. Enforced leisure, with long periods of time to use up with little ...
'Free leisure passes'.(activities programs)(Manchester City Council)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... In March 2003, the Manchester City Council decided to offer its youth free leisure passes as part of a project to improve youth services in the city. Residents had identified crime, cleaner streets and more things for teenagers to do as the three areas Manchester most needed to tackle. The ...
Sloth or gluttony: understanding obesity in New Zealand youth.(Overview)
Mar 01, 2005; ... While international trends show an increase of overweight and obesity in youth, accurate and representative New Zealand data are scarce. However, it is likely that young New Zealanders are following overseas trends. The importance of the promotion and sustained consumption of physical ...
Barriers to physical activity in young New Zealanders.
Mar 01, 2005; ... A range of social, behavioural and physical changes in young people's lives has resulted in barriers great enough to cause reduced activity levels. Major barriers include a reduction in active transport, altered community design, less physical education time at school, a rise of the ...
A Save the Children report into poverty as a barrier to participation in leisure was conducted by Loughborough University's centre for research in social policy and titled Britain's poorest children.(Xtra)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... A Save the Children report into poverty as a barrier to participation in leisure was conducted by Loughborough University's centre for research in social policy and titled Britain's poorest children. Published in 2003, it looked at how poverty affects children and young people and revealed ...
For tips on how to run successful social and recreational programs for culturally and linguistically diverse young people.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... For tips on how to run successful social and recreational programs for culturally and linguistically diverse young people, contact the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues, ...
Young people, risk and leisure: Constructing identities in everyday life, 2004.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Mar 01, 2005 ... Young people, risk and leisure: Constructing identities in everyday life, 2004, Palgrave Macmillan, eds Wendy Mitchell, Robin Bunton & Eileen Green (ISBN 1 4039 0116 3) was ...
Physical activity levels of first-year New Zealand university students: a pilot study.
Mar 01, 2005; ... A questionnaire administered to 60 first-year university students revealed significant declines in vigorous and moderate physical activity participation of students since beginning university. Physical activity participation was negatively related to the importance individuals placed on ...
Active transportation: an important part of adolescent physical activity.
Mar 01, 2005; ... For adolescents, 'after school' is an important time to accumulate health-related physical activity. Active commuting (walking or cycling) during this period may be an important factor in achieving daily activity goals. The results of a cross-sectional study examining physical activity in ...
The publication Promoting active transport:An intervention portfolio to increase physical activity as a means of transport: Planning framework--case study.(Xtra)
Mar 01, 2005 ... The publication Promoting active transport:An intervention portfolio to increase physical activity as a means of transport: Planning ...
The Bicycle Federation of Australia.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... The Bicycle Federation of Australia has a flyer calling for action to be taken to increase active transportation, including: 1 Creating a shift towards sustainable transport and land-use planning 2 Reviewing institutional arrangements ...
In New Zealand, a 'Physical Activity' web site was recently launched by the Ministry of Health to provide an overview of physical activity.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... In New Zealand, a 'Physical Activity' web site was recently launched by the Ministry of Health to provide an overview of physical activity from a health perspective that clarifies ...
SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) was formed in 2002 following the merger of the Hillary Commission.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand) was formed in 2002 following the merger of the Hillary Commission, the New Zealand Sports Foundation and the policy arm of the Office of Tourism and Sport. The SPARC web site has statistical information ...
One of the key functions of SPARC, as outlined by the Sport and Recreation New Zealand Act 2002.(Sport and Recreation New Zealand)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... One of the key functions of SPARC, as outlined by the Sport and Recreation New Zealand Act 2002, is to develop and implement national policies and strategies for physical activity and sport.The Policy and Research Unit within ...
And see: Towards an active New Zealand: Developing a national policy framework for physical activity and sport.(Xtra)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... And see: Towards an active New Zealand: Developing a national policy framework for physical activity and sport: A discussion ...
The New Zealand Health Strategy identified physical activity as one of its 13 health priority areas.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... The New Zealand Health Strategy identified physical activity as one of its 13 health priority areas. This led to the development of a Physical Activity Toolkit for District Health Boards, which provides ...
Influences on sportspersonship orientations: contextual and motivational.
Mar 01, 2005; ... Listening to the commentary of any football or cricket match provides many examples of interpretations of the type of influence sport has on those participating in it--interpretations that fall generously on both sides of the fence separating good behaviour and attitudes from bad. This ...
Play by the rules: promoting fair and safe behaviour in sport' is a new web site and also the title of free half-day workshops that aim to help sporting organisations.(Xtra)(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... Play by the rules: Promoting fair and safe behaviour in sport' is a new web site and also the title of free half-day workshops that aim to help sporting organisations, clubs and schools recognise, prevent and deal with issues of discrimination and harassment in sport. The workshop ...
Junior sport participation programs in Australia.
Mar 01, 2005; ... In a climate where youth physical activity is just one of many competing sedentary leisure alternatives, the success of junior sport participation programs is more important than ever before. This paper considers the composition of junior sport participation programs in Australia in an ...
Backing Australia's sporting ability.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... Backing Australia's sporting ability--a more active Australia is a Federal Government ...
Australia's physical activity recommendations for children and young people are outlined.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... * Australia's physical activity recommendations for children and young people are outlined at <http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/ publishing.nsf/Content/ health-pubhlth-strateg-active-recommend.htm> * The Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing ...
The Australian Government's Department of Education, Science and Training has information on nutrition and physical activity as part of its National education framework for schools initiative.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... The Australian Government's Department of Education, Science and Training has information on nutrition and physical ...
An ABS survey of children's activities conducted in April 2003 found almost all children aged 5-14 years (99.8% or 2,641,500) were involved in at least one of six selected leisure activities outside of school hours in the two school weeks prior to interview.(Brief Article)
Mar 01, 2005 ... An ABS survey of children's activities conducted in April 2003 found almost all children aged 5-14 years (99.8% or 2,641,500) were involved in at least one of six selected leisure activities outside of school hours in the two ...