Page 167 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2019
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and holistic wellbeing and can be a preventative factor in the development of more serious issues.
Fourteen per cent of Australian children and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years have mental health problems. Some research suggests that boys are slightly more likely to experience mental health problems, whereas girls are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than boys, and we know all too well the significantly higher rates of mental health issues for children and young people who identify as transgender.
The point is that research has been done that shows that, deep inside the brain, reactions to immense stress are dissimilar between girls and boys, which means that trauma or great stress could lead to different teen mental health diagnoses depending on gender and could require separate types of treatments for the same experience. Perhaps this means that supported accommodation options should also be gender specific.
It is important of course to realise that the government alone will never solve all problems; it is simply not possible. Solving the problems experienced by eight to 15-year-olds will include working hand in hand with the community to change society and to change focus. Solutions have to be multifaceted and involve the community primarily.
It is equally important to consider the views put forward by the community in the budget submission process because this gives us an on-the-ground view of what is needed. This is particularly the case for peak bodies such as ACTCOSS, the Youth Coalition and ACT Shelter, who represent numerous service providers who are in turn informed by the very people they are providing services to. Any good government would do that, and I have faith that this government will give due consideration to the issues peak bodies and community associations raise in the community budget consultation process.
As someone who has been a frequent flyer in terms of membership of the estimates committee, I can say that I have seen the impact of community budget submissions on subsequent budgets, and that is very heartening. I support this motion as amended.
MRS KIKKERT (Ginninderra) (3.40): I thank those who have spoken in favour of this motion and its intent and I am grateful for the opportunity to move it. I especially want to thank all those in our community who work tirelessly to support the ACT’s children and young people in so many ways. This includes peak bodies like the Youth Coalition and Families ACT, but it also includes a whole assortment of other NGOs, community service providers and organisations such as the PCYC.
Every single Canberran who does something to strengthen, protect, support or inspire a child is engaged in work of great importance. I am convinced that improving services and programs for the territory’s children and young people in the middle years is the right thing to do. The research from both Australia and abroad is clear: the future wellbeing of a significant number of youth depends on getting this right.
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