About the project

Comprehensive evidence demonstrates that a sizeable minority of young Australians are not doing well, not least with respect to educational achievement and mental health, factors that can impact on life chances. This three year project is part of a larger program of research that focuses on children’s and young people’s perceptions of their own wellbeing that has now been continuing for over a decade, and includes Making a difference: Children’s perspectives on economic disadvantage, and the Australian Child Wellbeing Project. This latest project will aim to investigate disadvantage in childhood and adolescence by examining risk factors for social exclusion among young people (aged 8–17 years), the assets and resources they deploy to promote their inclusion, their experiences in the context of risks they face and assets they deploy, and outcomes in the space of education, mental health and wellbeing. The project will privilege young people’s own perspectives on their lives and will draw on both empirical data from existing large-scale surveys and extensive in-depth qualitative research with young people.

UPDATE FROM GERRY REDMOND, 7 FEBRUARY 2023: I was saddened to hear that Professor Fiona Brooks, who was a Chief Investigator on this project, passed away on 13 January 2023 after a short illness. She made a significant contribution to this project, and to research on adolescent health and wellbeing over several decades. I will miss her knowledge, leadership and collegiality.