Young people have your say - Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2022 is now open

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Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2022 is now open and young people aged 15-19 across the country are invited to complete the survey to make their voices heard.  

Celebrating its 21^st year, the Youth Survey is the largest survey of its kind. Responses provide crucial insights into young people’s foremost aspirations, experiences, concerns and barriers to achieving their goals. The survey is a chance for young people to share what’s on their mind about a range of key issues like impacts from COVID-19, economic and societal issues such as climate change and housing insecurity, as well as work and study barriers and mental health concerns.

Mission Australia’s CEO Sharon Callister said young people have been forced to adapt and overcome challenges never encountered by previous generations and emphasised the importance of providing a platform for adolescents to voice what they are thinking, feeling and aspiring towards in 2022. 

“We know from our Youth Survey that young people are extremely resilient and they care about their futures, as well as the people and world around them. We also know that they’re experiencing unique challenges, such as high levels of psychological distress and are less happy than they were just two years ago,” she said.

“Young people are also navigating the ever-evolving pressures of things like social media and the global pandemic, both which obviously didn’t exist when we started this survey over two decades ago.

“Teenagers have experienced high rates of economic and psychological distress during the pandemic and they must be included in planning and decision-making that affect them, their peers, families, communities and Australia.

“That’s why we continue to prioritise creating space through our Youth Survey for young people to share their thoughts and concerns. The results are always very telling. They’re publicised far and wide and provided to government and non-government organisations to inform design and delivery of policies, initiatives and services that impact young people’s lives.

"We are delighted that over the past decade, more than 200,000 young people and more than 1,000 schools and organisations have participated in our Youth Survey.

“We encourage schools, sports teams, community youth groups, religious groups and community service organisations to support young people to get involved in the Youth Survey,” Sharon said.

“Our young people are our future leaders and it’s essential we hear them and act on what they tell us.”

Last year, Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2021 was completed by more than 20,207 young people between April and August. COVID-19 (45.7%), the environment (38.0%) and equity and discrimination (35.4%) topped the key issues in 2021 that young people feel Australia must address.

Encouragingly, the Youth Survey Report 2021 showed that more than half of young people are very happy/happy (53.4%) overall with their lives and are very positive/positive (51.6%) about the future, although these figures are slightly lower than the previous year.

Nearly half (46.3%) of young people are highly confident in their ability to achieve their study and work goals,they highly value friendships (81.9%), family relationships (77.4%) and their mental health (66.9%), and participate in a range of activities, most commonly sports (as a participant), sports (as a spectator) and arts/cultural/music activities.

The survey takes 20 minutes to complete. Young people can record their responses online, either through arrangements with participating schools or groups or individually through Mission Australia’s website. 

Mission Australia’s Youth Survey 2022 is open until 31^st August to all young people aged 15-19 years old who are living in Australia.

To take part in the survey, visit www.missionaustralia.com.au/youthsurvey. Share the word across social media using #YouthSurvey2022