Australian Kids Less Resilient At 15 Than At 10

Research has found that Australian kids become less resilient by the time they are 15, compared to when they were 10.

Not-for-profit research collaboration Resilient Youth Australia has been conducting the study since 2013, and it is ongoing.

Around 78,000 Australian children and teens have participated, answering questions based on 40 key predictors of good outcomes or young people, questions on general health, and questions aimed at measuring hopefulness.

It found that there are big differences between 10-year-olds and 15-year-olds.

Good or excellent levels of resilience were found to be had by 59 per cent of 10-year-olds compared to 32 per cent of 15-year-olds.

Those aged 15 reported they were far less likely to feel encouraged at school, to have an adult who listens to them, to feel safe at school or to feel “very hopeful”. The 15-year-olds were also more than twice as likely to have been bullied online within the past year.

According to Resilient Youth Australia’s website, there are a number of ways parents can build resilience in their children. Some of these suggestions include:

1. Regularly do things with your child, including projects in your home and recreation activities.

2. Take turns to plan activities to do together as a family.

3. Eat at least one meal together every day as a family.

4. Discuss and set family rules and consequences for breaking them.

5. Give your children approval and support and also challenge them to take responsibility and become independent.

6. Think about aspects of the way your parents raised you and how that affects your relationships with your children.

7. Find meaningful and interesting activities for your children that they can do with you, can do with their friends, and can do by themselves.

8. Learn as much as you can about what your children need at their current ages.

9. Balance family time with other priorities like work, hobbies and recreation.

10. Keep regular contact with your kids’ teachers and don’t wait for problems to arise before talking with them.

Children are more likely to be resilient if they have a sense of being connected to adults, have a sense of belonging, feel empowered to make a difference in their own life and the lives of others, feel people have high expectations for them and feel engaged at school.