Bridging the gap on locational disadvantage: Impact of community-identified interventions on social capital, psychosocial and socioeconomic outcomes. Interventions to combat locational disadvantage are vital given the pervasiveness and long-term consequences for youth and communities. This research will offer important educational and socio-economic benefits by enriching the psychosocial adjustment and life potential of young Australians and the capacity of schools in locationally disadvantaged ....Bridging the gap on locational disadvantage: Impact of community-identified interventions on social capital, psychosocial and socioeconomic outcomes. Interventions to combat locational disadvantage are vital given the pervasiveness and long-term consequences for youth and communities. This research will offer important educational and socio-economic benefits by enriching the psychosocial adjustment and life potential of young Australians and the capacity of schools in locationally disadvantaged communities. Effective research and community-identified social capital and psychosocial interventions will enhance pro-social behaviours, health, psychosocial adjustment, and school and community engagement. This will build capacity at community, school, and individual levelsand contribute to national socioeconomic wellbeing.Read moreRead less
From Anxious Temperament to Disorder: The role of the parent- child interaction. Three studies are proposed. The first examines parent behaviour (overinvolvement, encouragement of avoidance) in a large group of inhibited and uninhibited preschoolers over two-years. The aim is to determine whether parent behaviour places an inhibited child at greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder. The second examines parents of anxious children interacting with non-clinical children and parents of non-cl ....From Anxious Temperament to Disorder: The role of the parent- child interaction. Three studies are proposed. The first examines parent behaviour (overinvolvement, encouragement of avoidance) in a large group of inhibited and uninhibited preschoolers over two-years. The aim is to determine whether parent behaviour places an inhibited child at greater risk of developing an anxiety disorder. The second examines parents of anxious children interacting with non-clinical children and parents of non-clinical children interacting with anxious children. It is expected that anxious children will elicit more help from non-clinical mothers. The third examines anxiety-disordered parents interacting with their children. It is expected that anxiety-disordered mothers would be overinvolved regardless of the child's anxiety.Read moreRead less
School Bullies and Victims: The Influence of Children's Groups. School bullying is commonly displayed in Australian schools with serious effects for the victims. This project will enhance our understanding of the influence of children's social groups on school bullying and victimization. Increasing understanding of this devastating social phenomenon will provide a basis for developing focused intervention strategies that are directed at both bullies and victims. In turn, this will improve the le ....School Bullies and Victims: The Influence of Children's Groups. School bullying is commonly displayed in Australian schools with serious effects for the victims. This project will enhance our understanding of the influence of children's social groups on school bullying and victimization. Increasing understanding of this devastating social phenomenon will provide a basis for developing focused intervention strategies that are directed at both bullies and victims. In turn, this will improve the learning context for all students, enhance the environment in which teachers work, and strengthen the fabric of communities by contributing to the development of harmony and cooperation between people.Read moreRead less
Peer Rejection and the Maladaptive Social Behaviour of Children and Adolescents. Research indicates that peer rejection has serious negative effects on child and adolescent victims. However, little research has addressed the likelihood that peer rejection also has negative consequences for others in the social environment, through its instigation of maladaptive social behaviours such as bullying and ethnic prejudice. Given the incidence of the latter behaviours in primary and secondary schools, ....Peer Rejection and the Maladaptive Social Behaviour of Children and Adolescents. Research indicates that peer rejection has serious negative effects on child and adolescent victims. However, little research has addressed the likelihood that peer rejection also has negative consequences for others in the social environment, through its instigation of maladaptive social behaviours such as bullying and ethnic prejudice. Given the incidence of the latter behaviours in primary and secondary schools, the aim of this project is to conduct a program of research to test an integrative model of the impact of peer rejection on the maladaptive social behaviours of children and adolescents, with a particular focus on ethnic prejudice and bullying.Read moreRead less
Transition from school to work: A longitudinal investigation of unemployment, underemployment, alienation, social exclusion and mental health in young people. This project will provide detailed insights into the early identification of young people most likely to experience poorer outcomes in the later years of school and in the transition to the workforce or higher education. The findings have implications for State and National policies relating to the healthy development of young Australians ....Transition from school to work: A longitudinal investigation of unemployment, underemployment, alienation, social exclusion and mental health in young people. This project will provide detailed insights into the early identification of young people most likely to experience poorer outcomes in the later years of school and in the transition to the workforce or higher education. The findings have implications for State and National policies relating to the healthy development of young Australians; the enhancement of school completion and retention rates, and school-based strategies to facilitate young people's transition to the workforce. The study will further gain comparative insights into the experiences of students in coeducational vs. single-sex environments, private vs. public schools, and in regional as opposed to metropolitan areas. Read moreRead less
Transition from school to work: A 10-year longitudinal study of unemployment, underemployment, social exclusion, and mental health in young people. This project will provide detailed insights into the early identification of young people most likely to experience poorer outcomes in later years of school, higher education and the workforce. The findings have implications for State and National policies relating to the healthy development of young Australians, the enhancement of school completion/ ....Transition from school to work: A 10-year longitudinal study of unemployment, underemployment, social exclusion, and mental health in young people. This project will provide detailed insights into the early identification of young people most likely to experience poorer outcomes in later years of school, higher education and the workforce. The findings have implications for State and National policies relating to the healthy development of young Australians, the enhancement of school completion/retention rates, and strategies to facilitate young people's transition to the workforce and management of unfavourable work experiences. The study will further gain comparative insights into the higher education and work outcomes of students from coeducational and single-sex environments, private and public schools, and from regional and metropolitan areas. Read moreRead less
Effects on young children's development of multiple and changeable childcare arrangements. Consistency of care is considered important for children's development in the first thee years. The study will investigate a concerning recent trend in childcare in Australian rural/regional and urban areas: the use of multiple and changeable care arrangements (MCC). Information from the study of the effects of MCC on children's development up to school age will inform policy on flexible childcare provisio ....Effects on young children's development of multiple and changeable childcare arrangements. Consistency of care is considered important for children's development in the first thee years. The study will investigate a concerning recent trend in childcare in Australian rural/regional and urban areas: the use of multiple and changeable care arrangements (MCC). Information from the study of the effects of MCC on children's development up to school age will inform policy on flexible childcare provision to assist families, to ensure optimal development in children, and to reduce later educational and social costs.
Read moreRead less
The effects of home-based couple relationship education on couple relationships, mental health and work performance. Marital distress and separations cause great suffering and cost the Australian community at least $5 billion annually. This research evaluates an innovative relationship education program that couples can complete at home. The research tests whether the education enhances couples' relationship satisfaction, which couples benefit, how the program achieves its effects, and whether i ....The effects of home-based couple relationship education on couple relationships, mental health and work performance. Marital distress and separations cause great suffering and cost the Australian community at least $5 billion annually. This research evaluates an innovative relationship education program that couples can complete at home. The research tests whether the education enhances couples' relationship satisfaction, which couples benefit, how the program achieves its effects, and whether improved couple relationships enhances partners' mental health and work performance. The program might provide national benefit in reducing the enormous personal and social costs of marital problems, as well as providing a potentially important new product with significant export potential.Read moreRead less
Understanding Promises: Legal and Everyday Implications. This research will lead to a better understanding of the effects of keeping and breaking promises in different contexts. It will examine their potential beneficial function in peer relationships and their propensity to increase the quality of children's testimony. Keeping promises may be appropriate for fostering friendships but may have serious consequences when the information that is kept secret involves child abuse, for example. Inform ....Understanding Promises: Legal and Everyday Implications. This research will lead to a better understanding of the effects of keeping and breaking promises in different contexts. It will examine their potential beneficial function in peer relationships and their propensity to increase the quality of children's testimony. Keeping promises may be appropriate for fostering friendships but may have serious consequences when the information that is kept secret involves child abuse, for example. Information from this research is expected to contribute to more positive peer relationships and to children's honest disclosures of adult's (e.g. child abuse) and peer's (e.g. bullying) transgressive conduct.Read moreRead less
Compromised or competent? A longitudinal study of twin children's social competencies friendships and behavioural adjustment. Twins are a significant and increasing proportion of the school population. This study of twins, transition to school and friendship will advance knowledge in young children's social and emotional health, the national priority area Promoting and maintaining good health. It informs the early childhood education community (particularly policy makers, educators and parents) ....Compromised or competent? A longitudinal study of twin children's social competencies friendships and behavioural adjustment. Twins are a significant and increasing proportion of the school population. This study of twins, transition to school and friendship will advance knowledge in young children's social and emotional health, the national priority area Promoting and maintaining good health. It informs the early childhood education community (particularly policy makers, educators and parents) about twin children's transition to school with a particular focus on social competence. It will address many key outcomes, identified by Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services, as priorities for the Early Years. The findings will have direct relevance for parents, educators, health professionals and policy-makers.Read moreRead less