CAFS Groups in Context - Youth

Youth

(UNESCO) - people aged 15-24
AMA - people aged 10-24

Youth prevalence

Youth account for almost 20% of Australian population; males 51.3%, females 48.7%.

Individual diversity within the group

Many are attending school, university training or beginning a career
High workforce participation rates
May have own children

Terminology

Adolescence
Teen
Teenager
Young person

Adequate standard of living

- Active and require nutritious foods
- Time-poor adolescents will make poor food choices as a result of convenience and marketing strategies
- Dietary guidelines are written for children and adolescents
- Adolescents = sense of identity and positive self-perception
- Housing needs are mostly met by parents
- Increasing tendency for youth to continue living in the home, even when financially independent

Health

- Renowned risk takers
- Serious health problems including eating problems and mental health issues
- Must learn about medical rights and how to access supportive GPs (can apply for medicare care at 15)
- federal govt introduced a means-tested Child Dental Benefits Scheme 2014
- Many travel overseas and may require advice on immunisation and travelling hazards

Education

- Involved in school, Tafe, uni
- Formal education = seek employment faced with more education in the form of on-the-job training and learning skills and techniques important to job success.
- Experiences in education contribute to a person's self-esteem and sense of identity
- Increase students in VET subjects = enhance employment prospects and decrease number of time to complete post-school studies

Employment

- May not work due to education and training
- Leave before HSC = difficult to obtain well-paid full-time employment. (Seasonal Jobs)
- Volunteer work = help prepare youth for future employment

Safety and Security

- Physical, emotional or financial
- Youth attending oarties and venues with alcohol and drugs are likely to experience violence; such as 'glassing'
- Drug and alcohol use = increase risk behaviour e.g. drink driving, sexual assaults, aggression
- Emotional level = families and friends can provide valuable support for you
- Financial security = unemployment rates are higher than for other ages, jobs aren't secure

Sense of identity

Affected by factors; involvement in school activities, academic and sporting ability and whether they have a job
- Positive sense of identity to those who do activities
- When left school = may need to reshape identity due to structures that restricted them (school rules)
- Formation with another young person (relationship) can also be as a result in a changing sense of identity

Priority needs

Education - IF NOT MET
Decrease in employment opportunities

Sense of identity - IF NOT MET
Depression and other mental health issues emerge
Complicating the life of youth

Financial support

- NSW Department of Fair Trading - advises youth about financial and employment issues
-Centrelink - assists with paperwork and inquiries about a variety of allowance
- AusStudy and AbStudy - financial help to those studying
- Youth Allowance - financial help for studying full-time or part-time
-Australian Youth Orchestra - provide opportunities such as scholarships

Transport

Offer youth concessions for travel. In areas where public transport is limited or not available, local councils or private business provide alternatives or specific youth transport services.
- Yaxi- provide safe transport for geographically isolated youth supporting their social, vocational and emotional health needs

Accommodation and housing

Many youth reside with one or both of their parents, but a growing number for a safe and secure accommodation is a very significant need
- Crisis Accommodation
- Emergency Accommodation
-Refuges work towards creating a safe and secure home

Health care

Often, youth centres can put youths in contact with sexual health clinics, rape crisis centres and general health practices that bulk bill.
- Federal Department of Health = offers vaccinations to all youth, including Gardasil to prevent HPV
- Health Care Card = low-income youth to access cheaper prescription medicines and concessions on healthcare costs

Counselling

Safe and confidential collaboration between qualified counsellors and clients to promote mental health and wellbeing, enhance self-understanding, and resolve identified concerns.
- Reachout = valuable support with depression
- Youth Off The Streets = welfare organisation that assists homeless
- NSW Rural youth = supports in rural and remote areas
-State govts (Family and Community Services) = assist who are adopted, fostered or have a dysfunctional family background
-Beyondblue, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Headspace, Kids Helpline and Lifeline = mental health
- NGOS (Salvos, Mission Aus, Wesley and Anglicare) = address emotional and psychological wellbeing

Education

Educational 'pathways' - allow to acquire training in their prospective field of employment while still attending school
-Disabled youth = receive specialised support and education
- Careers markets and careers advisors = provide valuable assistance for youth as they fulfil education requirements

Employment

- Australian govt = offers Indigenous Youth Mobility Programme providing indigenous youth with the opportunity to complete the qualifications they need to obtain sustainable employment
- Australian apprentices = offer opportunities for youth to train, study and earn an income - work may be part-time, full-time or school based
- Job Services Australia (Australian Government national employment services system) = focuses on providing skills, training and support to youth aged 21 and younger

Legal aid

- Youth Hotline = provides legal advice and information to young people under 18
- Legal Aid act = help especially those who are socially or economically disadvantaged

Other services

Used by youth are also used by other members of the community.
- Recreational facilities = gyms and tennis courts (PCYC)
- Red Frogs = Schoolies each year
- Community service = St John's Ambulance teaching first aid and providing opportunities to practice these skills

Age

Prevent from knowledge of the services available to them
- Discrimination laws clearly state that individuals shall not be discriminated against on the basis of age, many youth find their age prevent them from securing a role of greater responsibility.
May mean they do not possess skills required for a job but are not given the opportunity to acquire the skills due to age

Gender

Males = less likely to seek help when confronted with physical or mental health issues.
Inclusion of male staff in services = create an environment where males feel more comfortable seeking assistance
Women = intimidated once confronted by behaviour that they perceive to be aggression or humiliating, reduces likelihood to seek help from available services

Level of education

Directly correlated with youth's ability to obtain employment.
- If job = lower levels of pay - limits opportunity to better the situation through further education.
- Lower level education = lowered self-esteem and lack of self worth
- The cycle continues UNLESS, youth is able to access educational opportunities through community services, such as training program 'Youth Off The Streets'

Culture and First language spoken

language proficiency may prevent from obtaining employment, either due to discrimination or low self-esteem.
- Cultural belief systems that say women don't need to be educated, and a related lack of motivation to be educated, may factor into stopping females to access services.
- An absence of culturally appropriate assistance = factors in not accessing services

Type of disability

Physical, intellectual, psychological or sensory = may cause youth to feel uncomfortable accessing services.
Taunting language and negative body language, as well as a lack of appropriate disabled access and facilities, may make access more difficult

Socioeconomic status

- May be unaffordable (driving lesson, gold or skiing)
- Lower status = low self-esteem or depression due to embarrassment
- Travel to service = unable to pay for transit
- Rural youth = erratic weather patterns and floods, fire and famine may impact socioeconomic status significantly

Resource management

Time
Money
Energy
Knowledge

Time

- Many waste time on social media, TV etc
- Some may sleep excessively, losing time to spend working, playing sport or completing chores
- Conversely, Youth may be engrossed in study or sporting pursuits and do not take the time off to explore services available to them

Money

- Expensive activities = limit participation
- Youth who have luxuries access services less
- Youth who live day-to-day existence, a lack of money may well limit their dietary, housing, education and health options as well as opportunities to service

Energy

- Youth have lots of energy = many passive in their use of leisure time
- Need to find companions to accompany them to various places, may limit the opportunities available. Some may find themselves isolated from others because of their belief and value systems; impacting sense of identity and desire to access services.
- Lower levels of motivation = decreased energy levels

Knowledge

Some disabilities = unable to communicate. Advanced technology= have more opportunities to acquire knowledge. Although are costly and difficult to find out about the services available in their area

Opening hours

Youth are generally involved in full-time study of and some pattern of work = access during business hours (9-5) may be limited
e.g. 24-hour fitness centres

Confidentiality

Youth may share with youth workers of psychologists
- Youthbeyondblue = provide info on a variety of support services and aspects of confidentiality
- Kid Helpline = offers confidentiality to clients, with the exception of some 'duty of care' situations

Locations

Kids Helpline and Legal Aid = exist to serve youth who, because of geographic location, unable to access services in a town or suburb.

Staffing

- Staff at venues where youth socialise need to be supportive = should be attentive without patronising
- Given men = less likely to access service facilities, many shopfronts are seeking the employ of younger makes = provide safe environment conductive to males.
- Employment of culturally diverse backgrounds = able to address accessibility