The 2009 National Survey of Young Australians
Every year for eight years Mission Australia has commissioned a national survey on the key and emerging issues that are concerning young Australians aged 11 to 24. This year it included nearly 48,000 participants from across the country giving their feedback. The result is a very useful resource that captures and analyses the trends and issues facing young Australians, and offers youth-focused organisations valuable assistance for program design and promotion.
There were differences within the younger (11-14) and older (15-19, 20-24) age groups reported, but the overall top 3 issues for all of them nationally were drugs, suicide and body image. The level of concern may have ranged from personal involvement with the issue, to concern for their peer group or family involvement with the issue, to concern for the broader community and society. Further in-depth analysis of the nuances of the data is being undertaken.
Mental health issues were also at the top of the list, with ‘depression’ and ‘coping with stress’ reported as problems facing most young people. Family conflict, personal safety, and bullying/emotional abuse were also issues of concern. Large gender differences were noted on responses to two particular issues, those being ‘alcohol’ and ‘physical/sexual abuse’. Boys and young men were far more likely than girls and young women to consider alcohol a problem for them, while the females were much more likely to identify physical/sexual abuse as their most significant concern.
As in past surveys the top 3 sources of advice and support for young people were their friends, parents, and relatives/family friends, and this pattern pertained to males and females across all of the age groups. Interestingly the percentage that said they turned to the Internet for advice and support grew in comparison to the year before with 22.5% saying it was their first choice.
The 3 most popular recreational activities were participation in sports, watching sports, and arts/cultural activities, although there was strikingly less participation in the latter than in 2008. The investigators speculated that the global financial crisis may have had an impact on the spending of families and young people, thereby curtailing participation in arts and cultural activities.
The concern about threats to personal safety was expressed by all of the participants of all age groups and both genders. Everyone being able to fully participate in society and move about freely in safety is a challenge that must be more thoroughly addressed by our society.
The results of the survey have been widely distributed by Mission Australia, and will be of use to NGOs, governmental agencies, and other institutions interested in the wellbeing of young Australians. It is also hoped that the report will pique the interest of the entire Australian community and be widely read by people who are concerned with the daily lives of the young people in their extended families, churches, and communities. Please click here to read it in full.