Australian Institute of Family Studies –database of studies on young parenting programs in Australia and overseas
Aust Institute of Family Studies – Promising Practice Profile for Connecting Young Parents in Albury/Wodonga
- addressing the knowledge gap in sexual health
- research into barriers to employment pathways
- housing and homelessness
- engagement of young fathers
- schools provide the necessary support and facilitation to ensure access to education for pregnant and parenting students
- access to abortion and contraception
- …. and more
While rates of teenage pregnancy have been declining in the general population, rates for young parents with experience of OOHC and other vulnerable young people are disproportionally high and have remained stable over time (Muir et al., 2019). Moreover, young people with experience of the care system are more likely to parent young (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2017; DHS, 2019(SA Government Department of Human Services, 2019), their children are more likely to enter the child protection system in turn (Fairhurst et al., 2015), and they are likely to experience repeat removal of more than one child (Boustani et al., 2015).
Abortion law reform in Victoria: lessons for the UK, Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care – Keogh et al.’s study in this issue provides the first robust confirmation that the incidence of legal abortions has not risen since decriminalisation. Neither has the removal of criminal sanction led to more late terminations. These are important findings not just for Victoria but also for any other jurisdiction considering liberalising reform.
Old before your time: Study suggests that ageing begins in the womb and shows that the offspring of mothers with lower levels of oxygen in the womb – which, in humans, can be a consequence of smoking during pregnancy or of pregnancy at high altitude – aged more quickly in adulthood. Dr Beth Allison, The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Monash University, March 2016
The Practical Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships for Years 7-10 (2015) – a teaching resource with activities exploring relationships, sexual consent, equity and sexual and reproductive health. It was written by Jenny Walsh, with Anne Mitchell and Mandy Hudson of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS), La Trobe University, funded by the Australian Government. This resource is based on:
- Professor Moira Carmody’s groundbreaking Sex and Ethics research and education project.
- Results of the Fifth National Survey of Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health 2013 (Anne Mitchell, Kent Patrick, Wendy Heywood, Pamela Blackman, Marian Pitts).
Our WATCh Respectful Relationships Education in Schools Evidence Paper by Cara Gleeson, Sarah Kearney, Loksee Leung and Joanna Brislane, Dec 2015. Extract from the exec summary:
The recent inclusion of Respectful Relationships Education in the Australian Curriculum represents an unprecedented opportunity to create positive change for a whole generation on of young people and across the eduction sector. It coincides with announcements from several states and territories to strengthen their education systems’ capacity to address and prevent gender-based violence.
This paper – produced by Our Watch with support from a Technical Advisory Group – aims to support policy makers and education departments in the design, implementa on and evaluation of their policy and practice, as they deliver on these welcome commitments.
See p.32 for timeline of development of respectful relationships education.
Australian Institute of Criminology Sexting Among Young People – Perceptions and practices, October 2015 The rapid development and adoption of online digital technologies has had a profound effect on the way young people conduct their social relationships. The emergence of sexting, or the distribution of sexually explicit photos and videos, has gained widespread attention and raised moral concerns. In a survey of over 2,000 respondents, almost half reported having sent a sexual picture or video of themselves to another party, while two-thirds had received a sexual image. Sexting was prevalent among all age groups, with 13 to 15 year olds particularly likely to receive sexual images.
The study found very little evidence of peer pressure or coercion to engage in sexting. Rather, young people reported engaging in the practice as a consensual and enjoyable part of their intimate relationships. The paper considers the implications of this for legal and policy responses to sexting.
Prevalence and distribution of unintended pregnancy: Understanding Fertility Management in Australia National Survey, Heather Rowe et al article published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Families ACT – Parenting Programs in the ACT, May 2015, Kate Butler – Report documents the state of evidence-based parenting programs in the Australian Capital Territory, including the mix of universal and targeted programs, service gaps, hard to reach groups, funding, collaboration, and supporting evidence of effectiveness.
Talking With Teen Parents, Hearing Young Families: (In)forming Welfare Reform Through Local Relations 2 Oct 2014 authors Greg Hall, et al. Article explores an engagement process undertaken by Australian government social workers in one disadvantaged locality prior to the introduction of federal “teenage parent” welfare reforms…. The authors suggest that problematizing early parenting may itself be “risky,” and may obscure opportunities for building on the parental role as a source of inspiration.
SKYS 2Faze and Young Parents program. Case Study. Plows, V and Bottrell, D and Te Riele, K (2014) Other. The Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning, Melbourne.
Trinity Learning Centre, ECU TLC Evaluative Study Report FINAL 2012 finds evidence of positive outcomes for teenage mothers. The program, funded by the Uniting Church was subsequently closed in early 2015.
A Needs Assessment for Teenage Mothers to Complete Secondary Education in Mildura, Anne Webster, 2011 The study sought to identify barriers to education; discover the needs of teen mothers to enable them to continue their education and understand the extent to which those needs are being met and might be met in the future.
Supporting young parents, CAFCA Practice Sheet – November 2010, Thys Price-Robertson. The challenge for practitioners and policy makers is to create a range of supports that respond to the needs of both young parents and their children. If this is achieved, then teenage parenthood need not be a negative experience; rather, it can become a catalyst for growth and positive life
What it takes – Supporting pregnant and parenting young people, Kay Boulden, Association of Women Educators Sept 2010. Outcomes of 2009 Conference. Includes key messages and recommendations for service delivery including a national approach to reducing the incidence of unintended teen pregnancy and improving outcomes for pregnant and parenting young people (including young fathers) and their children be developed, as a matter of urgency.
Helping Young Parents Succeed, Kerry Hill, Barnardos Practice Development Centre – This article examines existing parenting evidence and looks at what we, as social welfare practitioners, can do to support young parents. 2011?
Family Planning NSW. Reproductive and sexual health in Australia. Ash eld, Sydney: FPNSW, 2013. (based on ABS data 2010)
Helping teenage mums return to school – New Research proves that the first high school in Victoria (Corio Bay Senior College) to have its own child care centre for student mothers really is making a difference. Feb 2010 -Research Branch, Dept of Education and Early Childhood Development
Literature, evaluations and research on Australian Indigenous young parents programs: a review Dec 2009
Improving outcomes for teenage pregnancy and early parenthood for young people in out-of-home care by Philip Mendes 2009, Youth Studies Australia Volume 28 No. 4. Young people leaving out-of-home care are over represented among teenage parents. This paper examines the research literature and identifies key factors that contribute to early pregnancy and parenthood for care leavers, the challenges of early parenting and the positive effects of early parenting.
Optimizing wellbeing: Young mothers’ participation in parents’ groups, Keys, D. (2008) Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne: Melbourne
Strengths of Young Parents Project Literature Review, Richard Fletcher & Jennifer StGeorge, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle ~2008
The dynamics of welfare participation among women who experienced teenage motherhood in Australia / Jeon, Sung-Hee; Kalb, Guyonne; Vu, Ha. Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, 2008 : Examines whether the factors that determine the welfare participation of women who experienced teenage motherhood differ from the factors that determine the welfare participation of women who had their first child at an older age. The authors find evidence of state dependence for all women, but it is stronger for women who experienced teenage childbearing than for women who had a child at an older age.
Parenting Students in Secondary School Settings: The Challenge of the ‘Dilemma of Difference’. Geoff Shacklock, RMIT School of Education, Melbourne. Includes case study of Corio Bay Secondary College.
Opportunity for Change: Young Motherhood & Homelessness, Deborah Keys, 2007 Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society, University of Melbourne in collaboration with Family Access Network.
Barriers to service delivery for young pregnant women and mothers : report to the National Youth Affairs Research Scheme / Loxton, Deborah; Williams, Jenny Stewart; Adamson, Lyn. — Canberra : Australia. Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, 2007: The project aimed to: identify and describe the issues that young pregnant women and mothers experience, including women from nominated sub-groups (i.e. young women who have experienced or are at risk of substance use and/or who have been in foster care and/or have a disability and/or come from diverse cultural/linguistic backgrounds, and young women of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent); explore a range of related issues which have a critical impact on the well-being and quality of life experienced by young mothers and their children; and document examples of best practice in socially inclusive and responsive policy initiatives and service delivery models for young pregnant women and mothers.
Healthy Young Parents in Education (HYPE) SHineSA, 2007 Report on the program started in 2003 to improve the educational, social and physical health and wellbeing outcomes for teenage mothers and their infants through increasing school retention and social inclusion.
Shaw M, Lawlor DA and Najman JM. 2006. Teenage Children of Teenage Mothers: Psychological, Behavioural and Health Outcomes from an Australian Prospective Longitudinal Study. Social Science and Medicine, 62 10: 2526-2539
Women’s Health Victoria Clearinghouse Connector – Sexualisation of women and girls online resources.
What gets you there and keeps you going : young parents and support groups : the key factors that engage and maintain young parents in a supportive group environment Peschar, Pru et al, Hobart, Tas Department ogf Health & Human Services, Aug 2005 This research seeks to examine the most effective ways of supporting and assisting young parents. First time parenthood at any age requires enormous adjustments on behalf of the parents and young parents in particular often face special difficulties. Four issues which young parents are particularly susceptible to are depression, low self-esteem, loneliness and a lack of effective social support. This research identifies national and international literature and research about young parents in order to understand the scope and nature of the special difficulties they face and secondly seeks to determine the effectiveness of groups.
Teenage mothers – Constructing family Alison Morehead and Grace Soriano, 2004/05 article for AIFS – What are the supports, pressures and additional labour that shape decisions teenage mothers make about family life? A study focusing on adolescent mothers provides a good opportunity to examine some of the recognised factors in the work and family debate that lead mothers to decide not to participate in paid work.
https://aifs.gov.au/publications/family-matters/issue-72/teenage-mothers
Evans, A. Education and the resolution of teenage pregnancy in Australia [online]. Health Sociology Review: The Journal of the Health Section of the Australian Sociological Association, Vol. 13, No. 1, 2004 Sep: 27-42.
International
UK Open University “How could this happen to me?” Young women’s experiences of unintended pregnancies: A qualitative study October 2015
Various research projects and articles on Teen Pregnancy, The Rand Corporation – a research organisation that ‘develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.’
UK Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group – Final Report 2010 – Past successes – future challenges
Young people, pregnancy and social exclusion : a systematic synthesis of research evidence to identify effective, appropriate and promising approaches for prevention and support, London, Harden et al, EPPI Centre, Institution of Education, University of London, Feb 2009. This report presents the findings of a systematic review of the research evidence relating to teenage pregnancy, parenting and social exclusion and locates it within the context of social disadvantage and exclusion. The review systematically examines research relating to policy initiatives aimed at tackling the social exclusion associated with unintended teenage pregnancy and young parenthood.
Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States: a Longitudinal Study Rocca CH et al Conclusion: Women experienced decreasing emotional intensity over time, and the overwhelming majority of women felt that termination was the right decision for them over three years.