Climate change, mental health services, a better education system: what marginalised young people told us needs to be fixed

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 18:00:44 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/climate-change-mental-health-services-a-better-education-system-what-marginalised-young-people-told-us-needs-to-be-fixed-180492>

"In youth policy and service delivery the idea of youth voice and participation
is an uncontested “good thing”. But which youth voices? Who is heard and who
is left out?

Our recent research in Melbourne’s inner northern suburbs and in the Geelong
region has grappled with this question.

We have interviewed more than 80 young people since the start of the pandemic,
in an effort to better understand the concerns of many disengaged, marginalised
and disadvantaged young people in these areas.

We wanted to find out:

* what challenges have they faced?
* why do some young people seem to be able to get a say, while others don’t?
* how can these young people become active stakeholders in their own futures?
* what might change these dynamics?

Crucially, we asked young people to share their views in a format they felt
comfortable with – by speaking directly to their webcams or phone cameras.
Common themes that emerged included:

* the need for secure work now and in the future
* the need for better mental health services
* a sense of pressure around school
* a sense of not being heard
* concern about climate change and the future of the planet."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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