The contacts listed here are also available in each of the topic headings.
Families, parenting and carers
A website for those interested or involved in the ABCDs of parenting teenagers, whether a parent or a professional. The ABCD: Parenting young adolescents is a program for parents of children who are about to enter their teenage years. ABCD helps parents understand the challenges their children face as they negotiate this critical period in their lives.
www.abcdparenting.org
Health, wellbeing and development
Community Health provides a range of services to youth at risk in the community. These include information, assessment education and referral in all areas that affect the health of a young person. Services are provided in collaboration with other youth services at locations across Canberra.
Participation, citizenship and volunteering
ActNow is run by The Inspire Foundation, an Australian not-for-profit organisation that creates opportunities for young people to change their world. It provides a forum for young people to discuss and act on issues important to them.
Website: www.actnow.com.au
Employment and careers
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have developed a website for students and young people to gain understanding of their rights at work.
Website: www.worksite.actu.org.au
Mental health
AFFIRM, The Australian Foundation for Mental Health Research, provides funding and advocates for the importance of mental health research. AFFIRM is located within the Australian National University.
Website: www.affirm.org.au
Abuse
The Alannah and Madeline Foundation is a national charity protecting children from violence and its devastating effects.
Website: www.amf.org.au
Drugs and alcohol
The Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) is the peak, national, non-government organisation representing the interests of the Australian alcohol and other drugs sector, providing a national voice for people working to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs.
Website: www.adca.org.au
Drugs and alcohol
The Alcohol.gov.au website is maintained by the Department of Health and Ageing and includes information about alcohol-related health issues and Australian Government policy.
Website: www.alcohol.gov.au
Arts, music and culture
Information for visual art educators and those researching visual arts education.
Website: www.arteducation.org.au
Health, wellbeing and development
The Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare (AWCH) is a national, non-profit organisation of parents, professionals and community members who work together to ensure the emotional and social needs of children, adolescents and their families are recognised and met within hospitals and the health care system in Australia.
Website: www.awch.org.au
Youth work
ACWA is the NSW non-government peak body representing the voice of community organisations working with vulnerable children, young people and their families.
Website: www.acwa.asn.au
Rights and legal issues
The Australian Government Attorney-General's Department provides support to the Government in the maintenance and development of Australia's system of law and justice and its national security and emergency management systems.
Website: www.ag.gov.au
The website contains information on access to justice, crime and anti-discrimination issues.
Future studies
Australia21 is an independent, non-profit organisation whose core purpose is multidisciplinary research and inquiry on issues of strategic importance to Australia in the 21st century. Their work concentrates on 4 thematic programs:
Website: www.australia21.org.au
Arts, music and culture
The Australia Council for the Arts is the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body. Its mission is to enrich the lives of Australians and their communities by supporting the creation and enjoyment of the arts.
Website: http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au
Contact information: www.australiacouncil.gov.au/contact_us
Education and training
AARE is the national association for fostering educational research in Australia.
Website: www.aare.edu.au
Youth work
The Australian Association of Social Workers is the professional representative body of Social Workers in Australia, with 6,000 members nationwide.
Website: www.aasw.asn.au
Media
The ABC features a number of programs and services for young people, including triple j and Heywire.
Website: www.abc.net.au
Statistics
The ABS provides a diverse range of statistical information about all aspects of life in Australia.
Website: www.abs.gov.au
Research
Based in the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the Australian Centre for Child and Youth: Culture and Wellbeing is an innovative interdisciplinary 21st century centre that integrates technology, research, teaching and practice in fields pertaining to the culture and wellbeing of children and youth.
The Centre has a diverse and high profile advisory board, and a growing list of partners and collaborations. Experts, both field practitioners and academics from across all disciplines, are working with industry and a range of research friends on projects designed to have strong and sustainable practical outcomes.
Violence
The Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA) is funded by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and is hosted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies. ACSSA is a central collection point for research, information and resources about sexual assault in Australia. Their key role is to facilitate access to the growing evidence-base on sexual assault and to support organisations, agencies and others use research and evidence in shaping policy, practice and research directions in responding to, and reducing, sexual assault.
Website: www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/
Mental health
Information for those involved in the care of children/youth and interested in the potential impact of trauma, loss and grief experiences. The network is based at the Australian National University in Canberra and has a national focus with links to key stakeholders across each state and territory.
Website: www.earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au
Media
The ACTF is a national non-profit organisation involved in providing Australian children with entertaining media made especially for them, and which makes an enduring contribution to their cultural and educational experience. The ACTF acts as a funding body for other children’s television producers offering both script development funding and production investment. Recent funding decisions can be found in the Funding section.
Website: www.actf.com.au
Technology and communication
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is a statutory authority within the federal government portfolio of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
The ACMA is responsible for the regulation of:
Care and protection
Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisaitons (ACCYO) is a national not-for-profit organisation that assists organisations to safeguard children and young people. The ACCYO Safeguarding Children Program provides effective standards, training and an accreditation program that help organisations to strengthen their capacity to protect children and young people in their care.
Website: www.accyo.org.au
Education and training
In addition to conducting research in education, ACER provides a range of services to the sector, including test scoring services, AQTF survey processing, evaluation service for effective schools and professional learning opportunities for educators.
Website: www.acer.edu.au
Youth work
The Australian Council of Social Service is the peak body of the community services and welfare sector and the national voice for the needs of people affected by poverty and inequality.
Media
The ACCM (incorporated as Young Media Australia) provides information on the role that media experiences play in that development so that policy decisions and media development will build and maintain an environment that fosters the health, safety and wellbeing of Australian children.
Website: www.youngmedia.org.au
Disabilities
The Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET) is a web based information source that provides up to date, accurate and comprehensive information about inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategies, accommodations and support services for people with disabilities.
Website: www.adcet.edu.au
Abuse
This is a national resource on issues of domestic violence and family violence, a central point for the collection and dissemination of Australian domestic and family violence policy, practice and research. The clearinghouse produces quarterly newsletters and issue papers, in addition to comprehensive literature reviews and occasional research reports.
Website: www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au
Drugs and alcohol
The ADF is Australia’s leading body committed to preventing alcohol and other drug problems in communities around the nation.
Website: www.adf.org.au
Drugs and alcohol
The Australian Drug Information Network (ADIN) provides a central point of access to quality Internet-based alcohol and other drug information provided by prominent organisations in Australia and internationally. ADIN is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing as part of the National Drug Strategy and managed by the Australian Drug Foundation.
Website: www.adin.com.au
Families, parenting and carers
AFRC is an information and advisory unit that provides advice and information for families, including parenting, relationships between family members, family breakdown and other issues that affect family relationships.
Website: www.aifs.gov.au/afrc/
Discriminiation
The Australian Human Rights Commission is the new name of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. The Commission was established in 1986 by an act of the federal Parliament. We are an independent statutory organisation and report to the federal Parliament through the Attorney-General.
Website: www.hreoc.gov.au
Health and wellbeing
The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet aims to inform practice and policy in Indigenous health by making research and other knowledge readily accessible to contribute to ‘closing the gap’ in health between Indigenous and other Australians.
Website: www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au
Indigenous youth
AIME Indigenous Corporation provides a six-year Mentoring Program for Indigenous Australian students to access while undertaking their high school studies from Year 7 through to Year 12. AIME partners university student volunteers in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a high school Indigenous student, for an hour a week over the course of a 17-week program. AIME's goals are to improve Year 10 completion rates, Year 12 completion rates and university admission rates for all participating students.
Mental health
The overall aim of the Association is to actively promote the mental health and well being of infants, children, adolescents and their families or carers.
Website: www.aicafmha.net.au
Crime and justice
The Australian Institute of Criminology is Australia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice.
Website: www.aic.gov.au
Families, parenting and carers
The Australian Institute of Family Studies is an Australian Government statutory agency in the portfolio of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. It undertakes research into issues that affect family wellbeing.
Website: www.aifs.gov.au
It manages four clearinghouses:
Health and wellbeing
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is Australia's national agency for health and welfare statistics and information.
Website: www.aihw.gov.au
Technology and communication
The AMTA provides information about safe use of mobile phones, cybersafety and bullying.
Website: www.amta.org.au
Cultural and linguistic diversity
The Foundation has adopted an active role to develop intercultural initiatives. It operates through consultation with all community organisations, institutions, other foundations, Government and employer and employee bodies. In addition to providing funding, programs and initiatives, it assists all Australians to participate in bodies, organisations and institutions that are important to citizenship and community responsibility.
Website: amf.net.au
Policy
APO is a news service and library specialising in Australian public policy reports and articles from academic research centres, think tanks, government and non-government organisations. As well as research, the site features opinion and commentary pieces, video, audio and web resources focused on the policy issues facing Australia.
The website and news service are considered essential reading for anyone interested in public policy issues in Australia. Australian Policy Online is a not-for-profit project of the Institute for Social Research in the Faculty of Life and Social Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology.
Website: www.apo.org.au
Research
ARACY is a national non-profit organisation of more than 1200 members (organisations and individuals) involved in research and collaboration in the child and youth sectors.
Website: www.aracy.org.au
Sexual health
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) carries out interdisciplinary research on sexuality and health that, within the context of society, draws on a social model of health and promotes social justice. It is a leading national and an international Centre for research on sexuality, health and gender and for research training in these fields. It also aims to achieve international recognition for knowledge transfer into policy and practice.
Economic and financial issues
FIDO is the consumer website of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). ASIC is the consumer protection regulator for financial services. They also regulate and enforce laws that promote honesty and fairness in financial products and services, in financial markets, and in Australian companies. Their website includes information of relevance to young people, such as handing debt and scams and rip offs.
Website: www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/information-for/under-25s
Media
ATOM is an independent, non-profit, professional association for Teachers of Media and Teachers who wish to use media effectively in their classroom. ATOM aims to foster and encourage a generation of students who are both multi-literate and 'technologically savvy'. Metro Magazine and Australian Screen Education magazine are owned by the Australian Teachers of Media.
Website: www.atomvic.org
Drugs and alcohol
The Australian Temperament Project (ATP) is an ongoing, longitudinal study following young people’s psychosocial development from infancy to adulthood, investigating the contribution of personal, family, peer and broader environmental factors to adjustment and wellbeing.
Website: www.aifs.gov.au/atp/
Youth work
AYAC is Australia's national non-government youth affairs peak body, representing the rights and interests of young people and the sector that supports them.
Website: www.ayac.org.au
Mentoring
The Australian Youth Mentoring Network is a national hub for youth mentoring research, tools and resources. The organisation works with interested youth mentoring organisations and practitioners to foster the growth and development of high quality mentoring programs for young people in Australia by providing a national base of collaboration, support, guidance and expertise.
Website: www.youthmentoring.org.au
Indigenous youth
ANTaR is the preeminent non-Indigenous national advocacy organisation dedicated specifically to the rights - and overcoming the disadvantage - of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Website: www.antar.org.au
This resource from headspace provides published studies (controlled trials and systematic reviews) of treatment and prevention strategies for mental health and substance use problems in young people. Original article
16 Mar 2012
New research shows the causes for why men react to stress differently than women. Original article
16 Mar 2012
The Bullying No Way! website has information for young people, teachers and parents on initiatives to address bullying and violence. Original article
16 Mar 2012
The New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics has analysed a program that brings young offenders face-to-face with victims of crime and finds it makes no difference to the rate at which they go on to commit more crimes. Original article
16 Mar 2012
Almost half of young Australians surveyed report being bullied face-to-face, online or both, a new Queensland University of Technology study of more than 3000 school students has found. Original article
15 Mar 2012