Media release - 28 April 2023

In Youth Week, young people remain optimistic about life, despite ongoing challenges

This week as we mark NSW Youth Week, the Advocate for Children and Young People, Zoë Robinson, has released new polling data revealing children and young people’s experiences of life in NSW, including the top ten issues children and young people are facing across the state.

‘Youth Week is an opportunity for young people from across the state to come together to connect, participate and celebrate. Over the past few days, I have attended a number of fantastic events where young people have had the opportunity to have fun, connect with their peers and engage in a diverse range of activities.’
 
‘However, Youth Week is also an opportunity for young people to express their ideas and views, and act on issues that affect their lives. While we are pleased to see that there has been an increase in the number of children and young people who feel positive about life in general, many are still facing difficulties on a daily basis. Concerningly, ACYP’s new polling released today highlights that mental health and cost of living remain key areas of concern for young people across NSW.’

Results from this year’s Youth Week Polling indicate that 74% of children and young people feel positive about life in general – up from 65% giving a positive rating in 2022. However, ratings for their feeling about life these days remain consistent with last year, with 67% giving a positive rating, up only slightly from 64% in 2022. The main issues raised in the survey align closely with results from the previous two years: cost of living pressures; bullying; mental health – both concerns about their own mental health and frustration with the healthcare system; pressures to succeed academically; and housing affordability.

‘Now is a critical time for government to listen to what children and young people are saying, and work collaboratively with them to design and develop solutions that will have real on-the-ground impacts,’ said Ms Robinson.

The work of the Advocate is guided by listening to the views and opinions of children and young people from across NSW. The Advocate then takes this information to decision makers in government to guide the development of policies and services to support children and young people.

 ‘ACYP always wants to hear from young people across the state about the key issues that matter to them, and their recommendations for how government can better support them.’

‘To mark Youth Week, we have opened an online opportunity for all young people across NSW have the opportunity to share their ideas with us,’ said Ms Robinson.
Young people can share their views and recommendations with us at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACYPYouthWeek.

For more information or to arrange an interview with the Advocate for Children and Young People please contact: Una O’Neill on 0491 224 049.