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The big issues facing our kids |
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| 29-12-2008 |
 Mission Australia's survey of 11- to 24-year-olds has some interesting insights.How well do you know your children? How often do you try to talk to the teenager in your house about some of the big issues - drugs, body image, suicide - and receive a roll of the eyes and a quick brush-off? Mission Australia began conducting a national survey of young people seven years ago to help bridge the gulf that can exist between parents and their adolescent kids on these concerns. It has developed into the country's biggest annual poll of young Australians, providing a unique snapshot into their minds - their concerns, who they turn to for advice, what they value and who they admire - on a massive scale. More than 45,000 young people, aged between 11 and 24, took part in the poll this year. The results show that while young Australians are facing a range of serious issues, when it comes to their priorities and values, they are also incredibly well-balanced. Time and time again our survey shows that young people place chief importance on family, friends and close relationships. They're not just "generation Y with iPods". Their close connection with family and friends, the people they admire (entertainers with consciences such as Angelina Jolie) and their high level of volunteering, flies in the face of media stereotypes of young people as shallow and materialistic. As it does every year, our survey uncovered information that should make us sit up and take notice. While body image, drugs and family conflict are the biggest worries for 11- to 24-year-olds - with one-in-four regarding each as of major concern - it's drugs that are increasingly weighing on their minds. Concern about drugs was not a top-three issue in 2007. The increase in worry was most notable among the 11-to-14 age group, who were twice as likely as 20- to 24-year-olds to identify it as a major issue. So what does this mean? Well, the first point to make is that concern about drugs among this age group doesn't equate to usage. Younger teens' concerns are related to the potential for drugs to harm others - and whether they will be able to resist peer pressure to experiment. What it tells us is that perhaps our anti-drug education campaigns need re-evaluating. From our survey, we know that concern about drugs drops significantly among older teens while other evidence shows illicit drug use goes up. Close to 19 per cent of 16- to 17-year-olds have tried illegal drugs, and 23.4 per cent of 18- to 19-year-olds. It seems our efforts to create anti-drug awareness among younger teens are generating plenty of worry but are not necessarily equipping them with the skills to resist drugs when they're older. Scare tactics aren't enough to change behaviour long-term. Worse, scare tactics can glamorise dangerous behaviour. We need to make sure anti-drug education is helping young people cope with the issue - not just frightening them. The other standout result from the survey this year is the degree to which young people are worried about their personal safety. Concern about personal safety doesn't appear to be related to individual experience of violence, it's more about fear outside the home. The fear, I suspect, is partially driven by graphic media reports of violence - and politicians creating the impression of unsafe streets for political advantage. The emergence of personal safety as a major concern carries broader repercussions. Research shows that when trust breaks down, it helps usher in a range of negative social and economic outcomes for both individuals and communities. While a young person's fear might not be based in any real likelihood of them being unsafe, it can still be very damaging. If you're afraid of your community, how do you get involved in local activities? The truth is you're less likely to - and there goes part of the lifeblood of our society. We've got to balance reasonable concerns about young people's safety against the disproportionate fear that can ultimately stop them enjoying life. The final take-out of the survey is that overall young Australians are well placed to tackle the issues affecting their transition from youth to adulthood. But parents and the broader community need to be aware of the problems facing our kids - and their deeper implications - so we can make their passage easier. Toby Hall is the chief executive officer of Mission Australia.
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