Community & Business
30 December, 2023
Youth survey stats revealed
NEW statistics from Mission Australia have shown the main concern for Far North Queenslanders youth is crime, violence and safety.
According to the Mission Australia Youth Survey, FNQ youth aged between 15 and 19 had grave concerns for their safety, the environment and their mental health.
They also opened up about their biggest personal challenges, including school, interpersonal relations, body image and stress.
Mission Australia State Director Queensland Stephen Vines said it was positive to see more young people from the region become more aware of what is happening around them.
He now encourages them to reach out to Mission Australia to help them tackle issues they face in the community.
“Young people have the answers. We must listen, ensure young people are included in decision-making processes, and act now so they can access the opportunities and supports they need to thrive,” he said.
“What young people put in their top concerns may reflect what they personally observe firsthand, or have learned about indirectly from friends, family, school or the media.
“While we report the top three concerns, there are multiple concerns that young people report to us and it is important to unpack them all with young people themselves if we want to better understand the scope of their concerns and potential need for solutions.”
The 22nd annual Youth Survey was conducted between April and August with results shared with schools, governments and other key policy makers.
What FNQ youth said:
The top three concerns for ongoing issues in FNQ were are:
1. Crime, safety and violence, (33%)
2. The environment, (32%)
3. Mental health, (28%)
The most common personal challenges cited by young people in FNQ were:
1. School related, (43%)
2. Interpersonal relationships, (23%)
3. Other challenges, (19%)
Young people were asked to rate their level of personal concern on a range of issues in the last year. Top among FNQ respondents ranked by ‘extremely or very concerned’ were:
1. School or study problems, (34%)
2. Body image, (33%)
3. Coping with stress, (31%)
4. Mental health, (31%)
Young people were asked the extent to which they agreed with three statements about their community. Results among FNQ respondents were:
♣ I am proud to be part of my community, 55% agree or strongly agree with the statement.
♣ My community has the things that I need to have a positive and thriving future, 54% agree or strongly agree with the statement.
♣ Young people in my community have a say on issues that matter to them, 31% agree or strongly agree with the statement.
Results from a range of wellbeing questions among young people in FNQ report that:
♣ 46% felt mostly or completely in control of their life.
♣ 50% felt positive or very positive about the future.
♣ 31% felt lonely most or all of the time.
♣ 27% were classified as having high psychological distress.
Results of unfair treatment and discrimination questions among young people in FNQ report that 34% were treated unfairly or discriminated against in the last year. The top three reasons given were:
♣ Physical appearance (45%)
♣ Race/cultural background (40%)
♣ Gender (38%)
