Research for kids - NSW Commission for Children and Young People

We conduct research into issues affecting children and young people. Some of this research is undertaken on behalf of the NSW Child Death Review Team.

Current research

Children’s perceptions of their well-being at school

What we are doing?
We are exploring how schooling affects the well-being of children from the viewpoints of the children, so we understand the impacts on children better.

Why we are doing it?
What we learn from this work will help schools develop policies and practices that promote the well-being of children while they are at school.

Who we are working with?
We are doing this research with the NSW Department of Education and Training.

Where we are up to?
We have analysed the information from our previous study looking at what well-being means for children and young people and have published a report of what we found: Ask The Children – Children speak out about being at school.

We are working on developing a process for understanding and promoting the well-being of students in school.

Children at work: Wave 2

What are we doing?
We are investigating the experiences of kids who work: how many work, why they work, the types of work they do, the conditions they work under, the impacts of work on other areas of their lives, and who kids turn to if they have problems at work.

Why are we doing it?
The findings will help us see if there have been any changes in children’s work experiences since the first wave of research was released in 2005, and will help us make work a better experience for children and young people.

Who are we working with?
We are doing this research with the NSW Department of Education and Training.

Where are we up to?
In Terms 3 and 4 2008 we surveyed more than 1,500 children in Years 7-10 in NSW government schools were about their experiences of work. We have published a report of what we found: Ask The Children – I want to work.

We will continue to work with other organisations to improve the resources available to support young workers, their parents, teachers and employers. We will also keep working with partners to improve the regulation of children’s formal paid work. These partners include WorkCover, the Office of Industrial Relations, the Department of Education and Training, TAFE NSW, the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, employer groups and unions.

Mobile me: Children and mobile phones

What are we doing?
We are exploring how kids use mobile phones and how owning a mobile phone affects young people’s relationships with family and friends, their economic maturity, and their general well-being. We’ll also be looking at how children who don’t use mobile phones feel.

To help us develop the questions and themes for the research, in 2005 we spoke with children and young people aged 8-17 years. They told us how they use mobiles and helped us understand some of the key issues for them.

Why are we doing it?
The findings will help decision makers and parents find better and fairer ways to improve young people’s experiences with mobile phones.

Who are we working with?
We are doing this research with the University of Sydney. The research is funded by the Australian Research Council.

Where are we up to?
In Terms 3 and 4 of 2007 we completed a survey with 1,389 young people from 66 rural and metropolitan schools across NSW, including 759 Year 6 students and 630 Year 9 students.

Following the survey focus groups were conducted with survey participants from both Years 6 and 9. This enabled our researchers to ask more detailed questions about some of the themes that emerged in the survey results.

We have set up a Research Advisory Group of children and young people who participated in the survey to advise researchers on improvements to the research process, help with interpreting the data and writing up the findings, and assistance in developing a statement of findings to feed back to schools.

We have published a report of what we found: Ask The Children - Kids speak out about mobile phones.

What’s next?
We are meeting with the Research Advisory Group mid year to find about their experience of being involved in research. From this we will develop a report so that others can learn from our experience. Academic papers are currently being be prepared for publication in relevant journals.

Children’s understanding of poverty

What are we doing?
We are developing a research project that will explore how kids experience poverty. Programs to combat poverty don’t include the perspectives of kids and we think they’d be more effective if they included children’s perspectives.

Why are we doing it?
We will use the knowledge to influence policies and services for kids and programs that combat poverty so they better fit with children’s experience.

Who are we working with?
We are developing the research project with the Benevolent Society and RMIT University, Melbourne.

Where are we up to?
We have hosted a national roundtable of experts to discuss approaches to children in poverty in Australia and consulted with children to understand how poverty impacts on their lives.

Four papers also been released:

We are in the process of applying for funding to undertake the project.

Young carers

What are we doing?
This research project is exploring the needs of young people with significant informal caring responsibilities for other people, usually family members, who have a chronic illness, physical or mental disability and the impact of these responsibilities on their lives.

Why are we doing it?
This often forgotten group of children and young people are vulnerable to poor outcomes in a range of areas as a result of their care responsibilities.

Who are we working with?
The Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales is leading this research. We are one of their partners.
We are providing advice and assistance on child-centred research practices and ways to involve young people as researchers in the project. We are also providing the data we collected in our Children at Work study to the lead researchers.

Where are we up to?
Stage one of the project has been completed. In this stage the research leaders completed a literature review and conducted focus groups with agencies that provide services for young carers in New South Wales and South Australia.

In 2009 the research leaders will complete the literature review, analyse national data relevant to young carers, and conduct interviews and focus groups with young carers and the people they care for to get their experiences and perspectives.

Young people with chronic health conditions

What are we doing?
As kids with chronic health conditions grow up, they begin to take more responsibility for their own care. This research is being developed to find out more about how this transition works.

Why are we doing it?
The findings will be used to help these young people, and their families and carers, especially through adolescence.

Who are we working with?
The University of Sydney is leading this research. We are one of their partners.

Where are we up to?
A literature review is being finalised. The next stage will involve generating two grant applications.

Ethical issues in children’s participation in research

What are we doing?
We are developing a research project to better understand the points of view of people involved in research that involves kids: ethics committees, researchers, and the kids themselves.

Why are we doing it?
Researchers, ethics regulators and ethics committees can be reluctant to conduct participatory research with kids, which means kids voices are not heard, and they can’t influence policies or programs.

Who are we working with?
We are working with the Queensland University of Technology.

Where are we up to?
We are of applying for funding to undertake the project.