Relocation after parental separation: a longitudinal study. This project is to examine the long-term outcomes of relocation disputes, when one parent after separation wants to move far away with the children against the opposition of the other parent. The study is of great international importance, as these disputes have become so numerous and difficult to resolve. The results of the study will enhance Australia's international reputation as a leader in family law innovation and research. The na ....Relocation after parental separation: a longitudinal study. This project is to examine the long-term outcomes of relocation disputes, when one parent after separation wants to move far away with the children against the opposition of the other parent. The study is of great international importance, as these disputes have become so numerous and difficult to resolve. The results of the study will enhance Australia's international reputation as a leader in family law innovation and research. The national benefits will include better information for courts in making relocation decisions and an evidence-base for the Government to make legislative changes if needed.Read moreRead less
Children's involvement in decision-making about residence and contact in family law proceedings. This project aims to discover the extent to which children and young people are involved in decision-making about residence and contact when their parents divorce, and to examine how their views are taken into account. It will involve interviews with children and parents about agreements reached without court involvement, and interviews with children, parents, counsellors, separate representatives a ....Children's involvement in decision-making about residence and contact in family law proceedings. This project aims to discover the extent to which children and young people are involved in decision-making about residence and contact when their parents divorce, and to examine how their views are taken into account. It will involve interviews with children and parents about agreements reached without court involvement, and interviews with children, parents, counsellors, separate representatives and judges in cases with court involvement. The findings will result in greater understanding of the factors that affect children's willingness and capacity to be involved in such decision-making and assist counsellors, judges and other court personnel in ascertaining and assessing children's wishes.Read moreRead less
Relocation after parental separation and the best interests of children. The project is of importance not only for Australia, but internationally, because relocation disputes are a pressing issue around the world in family law. These disputes have become numerous as laws have changed in recent years to reflect the ideal that parents should share responsibility after separation and that children should have regular contact with both of them. This ideal clashes with the promise of divorce that ind ....Relocation after parental separation and the best interests of children. The project is of importance not only for Australia, but internationally, because relocation disputes are a pressing issue around the world in family law. These disputes have become numerous as laws have changed in recent years to reflect the ideal that parents should share responsibility after separation and that children should have regular contact with both of them. This ideal clashes with the promise of divorce that individuals should be able to live their own lives without being unduly bound by ties to the other parent.This will be the world's first such prospective longitudinal study of the outcomes of relocation decisions. The national benefits will include better information for courts in making relocation decisions.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
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.
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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
Linking to learn and learning to link: building integrated school-based support systems for children and families in a disadvantaged community. The project will implement in a disadvantaged community changed institutional practices within primary schools and a partner welfare agency to increase family-school connectedness to improve children's behaviour and school performance. We build on the Pathways Project, which improved these outcomes for vulnerable preschool children, but highlighted the c ....Linking to learn and learning to link: building integrated school-based support systems for children and families in a disadvantaged community. The project will implement in a disadvantaged community changed institutional practices within primary schools and a partner welfare agency to increase family-school connectedness to improve children's behaviour and school performance. We build on the Pathways Project, which improved these outcomes for vulnerable preschool children, but highlighted the critical importance of family involvement with schools to effect enduring change and the difficulties of achieving this within current structures. We address this challenge by nurturing whole-school culture change, providing teacher professional development, and locating family support resources within schools to promote home-school partnerships, family functioning, and child well-being. Read moreRead less