Omega 3 link to youth educational achievement

Recently I co-hosted a event for youth workers within the City of Salisbury as part of the councils support of the sector.

The guest speaker was Dr Natalie Sinn from the UniSA and she spoke about the research occuring in this state (and indeed across the world).

It was a fantastic presentation that really made everyone think about youth disengagement, diet and the link to omega-3 fatty acids.

The presentation made me think as to whether in a large number of circumstances disengagement is just a symptom and that we should be investing more time in treating the problem.

If you want a copy of the powerpoint presentation flick me an email on rhenke@salisbury.sa.gov.au

If you want to go on the invite list for future youth workers networking events in Salisbury SA, email Linda on lweiss@salisbury.sa.gov.au with a brief note.

RYDA Rotary Youth Driver Awareness Program

Just reflecting on a program we run last week for 100 Year 10's from Parafield Gardens High School in SA, it was great. Reading the feedback forms it worked really well.



The 6 sessions are very hard hitting and include sessions on stopping distance (physical demo), session from SA Police, session with accident victims, sessions on hazard perception, safe partying and finance and insurance issues.

It was a massive effort but with the support of the Rotary Club of Salisbury it worked really well.

So if your school is after a low cost (school paid $5 / student) program with impact speak to your local rotary club or check out the national web site and they will work with you.

National sponsor of RYDA is BOC Gases, local sponsors included Salisbury Town Centre Association, City of Salisbury with majority funding from the Rotary Club of Salisbury.

www.ryda.org.au

Self-harm an often overlooked factor in youth car crashes

Self-harm an often overlooked factor in youth car crashes

Ricks comment
Have a look at this article - perhaps we need to think more carefully about the source of risky behaviour choices full stop to find part of the solution to reducing the road toll. It would be interesting to overlay Omega-3 and diet (which contributes to frontal lobe development - where risk decisions are made).



Source www.news.com.au

By Danny Rose

AAP

November 26, 2009 12:45am


ROAD crashes involving young Australians have an often overlooked cause - the significant number of teenagers who deliberately harm themselves.

A major NSW-based study has found those young people who admit to self-harming behaviour were also at a much higher risk of being involved in a serious car crash.

"Self-harm is a significant issue for young people in Australia," said Dr Alexandra Martiniuk who led the study at The George Institute for International Health.

"We know that this also impacts considerably on young driver safety, as we found those drivers who engaged in self-harm were at a 40 per cent increased risk of a crash."

Self-harm behaviour is often deliberate cutting or burning but also attempted hanging or poisoning.

The research took in almost 21,000 young drivers who held P-Plates and were aged 17 to 24.

Just 4 per cent admitted to self-harming behaviour. These young people were found to have a 40 per cent higher risk of being involved in a crash during a two-year study window.

Dr Martiniuk said it was unclear whether these crashes were deliberate - further attempts at self-harm - or whether they were the result of these young people having a lower regard for personal safety or increased risk-taking.

What was known was these crashes often involved multiple vehicles.

"This amplifies the danger from these crashes, as it's not only the safety of young drivers who engage in self-harm (that is) at an increased risk but the safety of all road users," she said.

The study found self-harm was more common among young women, particularly those who were Australian-born and who lived in regional areas and who reported higher levels of drug and alcohol use.

Dr Martiniuk also said for those young people who admitted to self-harm, many more were suspected to keep it a secret.

The 4 per cent who admitted to it would be "on the lower end of what we think is going on".

"Studies around the world have shown that people in this age group who self-harm range from five to 17 per cent of the population," Dr Martiniuk said.

"It's quite hard to get a measure of this around the world because very few people admit to the fact that they self-harm ... (and) the youth involved are very unlikely to seek help."

The study showed the need for improved methods of identifying young people who self-harm, Dr Martiniuk said, while young driver programs should take this additional risk factor into account.

The research was undertaken as part of the DRIVE study, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, NRMA and the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW.

Survey of youth violence. Please complete.

Hi everyone,

If you are aged between between 12 and 24 years could you click on the Govt Ad to the left of this post and complete a survey.

The link takes you to a federal govt parliment page and the survey link is on the LHS.

Cheers
Rick

Youth truancy fines

Source Adelaide Advertiser Nov 17th

Targeted Youth Grants Now Open

Targeted Youth Grants

November 2009 Round


NOW OPEN


The Office for Youth has opened a new round of Targeted Youth Grants which are designed to support community organisations to develop and deliver targeted initiatives to support vulnerable young people to provide them with strength based opportunities and positive life outcomes.



Organisations have the opportunity to apply for one-off grants between $10,000 and $50,000.



Priority will be given to projects that:

·achieve outcomes for vulnerable young people

·may be sustained beyond the life of the funding

·collaborate with other service providers or community organisations

·incorporate a ‘strength-based’ approach for vulnerable young people.



The initiatives must build on the strengths on the young people in the community to help them address the more difficult areas of their lives and to help them achieve greater positive life outcomes.



The new initiatives funded by the grants will focus on:

·young people at risk of engaging in or who are exiting from the criminal justice system

·young people who are homeless or experiencing housing stress

·young people who have disengaged from learning and work

·building the capability of the youth sector to respond to vulnerable young people.



Applications close on Tuesday 5 January 2010. Funding guidelines and an application form are available at www.officeforyouth.sa.gov.au . If you require any further information about these grants please contact the Office on 8204 8482 or 8204 8477.

New Youth Resource

Welcome to day 1 of the new blog about youth services, youth programs, research around key youth issues. with time the blog will become a ready resource pool of youth articles which people working with youth can draw on.

Based in South Australia there are many youth issues which I have an interest at the moment including :-

The success of community based learning opportunities as an addition to school campus based activities (in SA FLO programs)delivering youth outcomes

The challenge of poor youth diet and the link between diet and school performance and disengagement.

The relocation of Magill training facilities to Cavan and the opportunity to rethink youth incarceration.

The massive challenge of youth homelessness and youth accomadation and the capacity for a modified Foyer style model as a solution for youth.

The issues of youth unemployment and youth under-employment

The safety and engagement of international students as youth studying in the Northern Suburbs of South Austrlia.

Over the forthcoming weeks I aim to add research depth and information that will be useful to youth workers around these issues.

:-)