Preventing youth violence
ARACY's "Preventing Youth Violence" project seeks to mobilise action across sectors and disciplines in developing collaborative strategies that are grounded in the best available evidence on “what works” to reduce violent and antisocial behaviour in young people.The project is premised on the assumption that youth violence is symptomatic of a breakdown in the socialisation process that supports children and young people to develop the emotional and social skills they need to regulate their emotions, respect themselves and others and engage constructively with society.
Unlike many other strategies that attempt to control violent and antisocial behaviour in the later adolescent years, “Preventing Youth Violence” is directed at young people aged 10-14, when major changes in brain development provide a potent opportunity for effective early intervention. The project recognises that the experiences and developmental challenges faced by young people as they move into adolescence have a major impact on their long-term wellbeing and prospects in life.
Click on the links directly below or scroll down to learn more about ARACY's Preventing Youth Violence project.
Contact the Project Manager Deirdre Croft, for further information.
Preventing Youth Violence Roundtable
2010 ARACY Annual Forum on “Preventing Youth Violence – Why simplistic solutions won’t work”
ARACY submission and evidence to the parliamentary inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians
Access Grid Seminar Series on Adolescent Behaviour
ARACY Report highlights need for early intervention
Preventing youth violence discussion paper
Publications
Preventing Youth Violence Roundtable (5 July 2010)
ARACY has begun the process of developing a collaborative project/s to more effectively address the multi-level factors that contribute to violence among people. The proposed project/s will place a high priority on promoting healthy social and emotional development as an early intervention strategy for preventing problem behaviours later in the developmental pathway. To promote a more collaborative approach to these issues and to identify ideas for projects that have the potential to make a substantial difference, ARACY staged a roundtable meeting in Melbourne on 5 July 2010 with the support of law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. More than 40 people from across policy, practice, research, community developmental, advocacy and youth sectors participated in the roundtable meeting. A number of participants have indicated their willingness to contribute to the further development of the project ideas.
“Preventing Youth Violence – Why simplistic solutions won’t work” (2010 ARACY Annual Forum)
Concerns about the level of violence in schools and the community have prompted calls for tougher measures to police and control the behaviour of children and young people.
ARACY’s 2010 Annual Forum featured a panel discussion on the likely effect of “simplistic”, punitive measures, posing the question as to whether there were better ways to promote prosocial behaviour in our youth. The two hour panel discussion of what does and doesn’t work and why, was facilitated by the senior health correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald Mark Metherell.
Five panellists offered insights from a range of different perspectives:
- Richard Eckersley, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (Australian National University)
- Jono Chase, Step Back Think
- Adam Tomison, Australian Institute of Criminology
- Sheryl Hemphill, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
- Judy Maddigan MP, Chair of the Victorian Parliament's Drug and Crime Prevention Committee
Parliamentary inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians
ARACY has made a submission to the inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians, which is currently being conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family, Community, Housing and Youth. The submission draws on reports and studies previously commissioned by ARACY that are relevant to the inquiry’s terms of reference:
- perceptions of violence and community safety among young Australians
- links between illicit drug use, alcohol abuse and violence among young Australians
- the relationship between bullying and violence on the wellbeing of young Australians
- social and economic factors that contribute to violence by young Australians
- strategies to reduce violence and its impact among young Australians.
Download ARACY's evidence to the inquiry hearings.
Many of the other submissions provide valuable insights into dimensions of violence committed by and against young people. The submission from the Office for Youth (in partnership with eight key Australian Government departments) provides a useful summary of a range of relevant government initiatives addressing factors at an individual, family, school and community level that may contribute to violence committed against or by young people. Further information is available on the inquiry website.
Access Grid Seminar Series on Adolescent Behaviour
A series of five virtual seminars based on the theme Understanding adolescent behaviour (from different perspectives) was staged during April-June 2010.
The seminar series was broadcast to Access Grid rooms around the country with expert presenters exploring different influences on adolescent behaviour and their impacts from biological, psychological and sociological perspectives.
Pre-reading, powerpoints and audio recordings are available for each of the seminars by clicking the relevant link below.
Seminar 1: Understanding the brain to understand behaviour
Presenter: Mr John Joseph is an educationalist who specialises in how the brain mediates emotions, learning and behaviour. John is Director of Focus Education Australia Pty Ltd, and Mind Webs Pty Ltd.
This seminar provides an overview of how the brain filters and interprets experience to create habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, learning and acting. Based on an original model developed by our presenter John Joseph to explain the interplay between thoughts, emotions, feelings and actions, the seminar explores the implications of dominant thinking styles and habitual emotional and behavioural patterns on the motivation and capacity of students to learn and engage constructively with their school and community.
Presenter: Mr John Joseph is an educationalist who specialises in how the brain mediates emotions, learning and behaviour. John is Director of Focus Education Australia Pty Ltd, and Mind Webs Pty Ltd.
This seminar provides an overview of how the brain filters and interprets experience to create habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, learning and acting. Based on an original model developed by our presenter John Joseph to explain the interplay between thoughts, emotions, feelings and actions, the seminar explores the implications of dominant thinking styles and habitual emotional and behavioural patterns on the motivation and capacity of students to learn and engage constructively with their school and community.
Seminar 2: Challenging our understanding of thinking, feeling and acting
Presenter: Ms Leigh Burrows and Professor Rosalind Murray Harvey, School of Education, Flinders University.
In this seminar, presenters Ms Leigh Burrows and Professor Rosalind Murray-Harvey (School of Education, Flinders University) pose the questions:
“Why do so many vulnerable young people engage in reactive, bullying and aggressive behaviours at school, and what can be done to help”?
The seminar explores the pivotal role of interpersonal relationships in shaping the behaviour of young people within a school setting.
Seminar 3: The influence of friends and family on adolescent alcohol and drug use
Presenter: Professor John Toumbourou, Chair of Health Psychology, Deakin University.
Recent research commissioned by ARACY reveals that children as young as 11 and 12 are already consuming alcohol at alarmingly high levels. Given the established relationship between alcohol use and violent behaviour, what are the implications of such findings for young people’s long term social adjustment? This seminar explores the influence and impact of social relationships (particularly family and peer relationships) on adolescent alcohol and drug use behaviour.
Seminar 4: The impact of social disadvantage on youth violence
Presenter: Professor Rob Watts, Professor of Social Policy and Discipline Director, Social Sciences at RMIT University.
According to Professor Watts, fundamental ethical questions remain as to how we address violence in our broader Australian society. This seminar poses a challenge to how concerns about youth violence in Australian society are currently being thought about or addressed by social scientists and policy makers.
Seminar 5: Violence among young people: social and cultural determinants and strategies for prevention
Presenter: Dr Michael Flood, School of Social Sciences, Media and Communications, Wollongong University.
Sociologist Dr Michael Flood explores the extent and impact of interpersonal violence on the lives of children and young people and the social and cultural factors that contribute to it. The importance of primary prevention strategies in reducing interpersonal violence is emphasised.
Presenter: Ms Leigh Burrows and Professor Rosalind Murray Harvey, School of Education, Flinders University.
In this seminar, presenters Ms Leigh Burrows and Professor Rosalind Murray-Harvey (School of Education, Flinders University) pose the questions:
“Why do so many vulnerable young people engage in reactive, bullying and aggressive behaviours at school, and what can be done to help”?
The seminar explores the pivotal role of interpersonal relationships in shaping the behaviour of young people within a school setting.
Seminar 3: The influence of friends and family on adolescent alcohol and drug use
Presenter: Professor John Toumbourou, Chair of Health Psychology, Deakin University.
Recent research commissioned by ARACY reveals that children as young as 11 and 12 are already consuming alcohol at alarmingly high levels. Given the established relationship between alcohol use and violent behaviour, what are the implications of such findings for young people’s long term social adjustment? This seminar explores the influence and impact of social relationships (particularly family and peer relationships) on adolescent alcohol and drug use behaviour.
Seminar 4: The impact of social disadvantage on youth violence
Presenter: Professor Rob Watts, Professor of Social Policy and Discipline Director, Social Sciences at RMIT University.
According to Professor Watts, fundamental ethical questions remain as to how we address violence in our broader Australian society. This seminar poses a challenge to how concerns about youth violence in Australian society are currently being thought about or addressed by social scientists and policy makers.
Seminar 5: Violence among young people: social and cultural determinants and strategies for prevention
Presenter: Dr Michael Flood, School of Social Sciences, Media and Communications, Wollongong University.
Sociologist Dr Michael Flood explores the extent and impact of interpersonal violence on the lives of children and young people and the social and cultural factors that contribute to it. The importance of primary prevention strategies in reducing interpersonal violence is emphasised.
Further seminars in the series are proposed for later in 2010.
In October 2009, ARACY released its report 'Violent and antisocial behaviours among young adolescents in Australian communities: an analysis of risk and protective factors'.
Download the report. Related data is provided below.
Download the report. Related data is provided below.
The analysis confirmed that programs to prevent youth violence were more likely to be effective if they started in primary school and were sustained as children moved through their adolescence. A range of risk factors operating at both an individual level and in the child’s social environment significantly increased the likelihood that the child would also have recently consumed alcohol as well as engaging in violent and antisocial behaviour. Children with a high number of protective factors operating in their lives were much less likely to engage in these problem behaviours.
The study findings reinforce the opportunity available to implement strategies that reduce risk factors and strengthen protective factors in the early adolescent years.
The analysis is based on survey data of more than 8000 10-14 year old students in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia collected as part of the Healthy Neighbourhoods Project.
Download the media release accompanying the release of the report.
Preventing youth violence discussion paper
The Murdoch Childrens Research Institute has been contracted to prepare a discussion paper for ARACY to inform national consultations on what can be done at a policy, practice and community level to reduce violent and antisocial behaviours among young people.
The discussion paper will include an examination of the evidence on what works in addressing youth violence and antisocial behaviour and why it works.
For more information on the Preventing Youth Violence project, contact the Project Manager Deirdre Croft.
| Documents for viewing/download: | |
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ARACY submission to Parliamentary Inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians: (657Kb) |
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Project Summary: (100Kb) (two page summary) |
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Project Rationale: (59Kb) (two page summary) |
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FULL REPORT: (1.9Mb) Violent and antisocial behaviours among young adolescents in Australian communities: an analysis of risk and protective factors |
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DATA TABLES: (212Kb) Violent and antisocial behaviours among young adolescents in Australian communities: an analysis of risk and protective factors |
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MEDIA RELEASE: (113Kb) Violent and antisocial behaviours among young adolescents in Australian communities: an analysis of risk and protective factors |
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Preventing youth disengagement and promoting engagement: (1.2Mb) |
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