This Child Protection Week, Act for Kids is encouraging adults to ‘Get Comfy Switching On by Switching Off’ for the kids in their life after new research revealed far too many young people don’t always feel listened to and aren’t speaking to anyone when they’re worried. The research commissioned by Act for Kids heard from more than 300 young Australians aged between 14 to 17.
Act for Kids wants every adult to ‘Get Comfy Switching On by Switching off’ for the kids in their life. This could be as simple as asking questions about their day or reminding them that you’re there for them. Try to listen and not immediately fix the problem. The research shows there is a genuine need for adults to simply listen rather than tell a child or young person what to do by solving their problems for them.
The results show there is an alarming number of young people feeling unheard, yet they are carrying the burden of their concerns alone, raising the risk of real mental health challenges. It shows there is a substantial proportion of kids and young people who do not feel confident or empowered to speak to someone they trust when they feel worried. Another real concern is that 66% of the respondents said they worry about how they look and 64% are worried about school.
Sadly, one person said “I have my days that I feel confident but a lot of the time I am just pretending. I don’t feel confident in my own skin at all and wish I could just click my fingers and change anything I wanted.”
Another said, “My looks and how I look during school and if anyone really likes me.”
Here are some useful tips
Tips for Kids & Young People
Tips for Adults
Watch our animated video to learn more
For children needing support:
For adults, parents and carers:
Speak to your General Practitioner if you’re worried about a child in your life or would like more support.
Lst year, over 480,000 reports were made to child protection authorities.
Over 174,700 kids accessed child protective services. That’s 1 in every 32 Aussie kids.